Mahou Sensei Kain! Act 17!
by Chris-Sasami-Bunny
Summary: With the magic world saved, Kain now has matters to deal with on Earth...if he can only wake up. Trapped in a dream, one old student might just be the key to waking him back up. Can you guess who?
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: This is a nonprofit fictional story, a FanFiction based on Ken Akamatsu's Negima. I do not own Negima, or most of the other characters included in this work, excepting where it is stated in the author's notes. It is not intended or presented for any commercial profit or personal gain; it is simply a story written for personal fulfillment and presented for public enjoyment, and as an honest homage to the fine story conceived and written by Ken Akamatsu, as well as all the other (innumerable) works that find place herein (and their authors).

Prologue

Jynx sipped his coffee. "Well...seems like you've had a rough time of it. My condolences."

Artoria chuckled in reply. "I really should be saying that to you...I am not of the illusion that your idleness was any less troublesome than my duties as a monarch were. For one as active and outgoing as you are to be cooped up in that cell permanently, as nice as it was...it truly must have been torture for you. Still, after all this time...it is good to see you again. A little later than I wished. I really was hoping you'd reappear before Etrigan retired. It would have made my choice of Court Archmage so much easier. Riviera is a fine girl, talented, and with plenty of potential...but this last crisis was just a bit much for her, although, like young Wein, she weathered it well and presented herself finely. But having you around would have...smoothed so many things out..."

Jynx chuckled. "Yeah...sorry about that. I would have flown to you if I could have. Maybe I should have bowed out a bit earlier...but if I had missed that whole adventure..." He sighed. "Nothing's turning out like we thought it would after we finally rescued Aeli and let the tale of the 'Queen of Calamity' resolve. Since then...Kalan and Aeli...me...Gato...and especially Kain...nothing has been right. Even now...it's finally all over, and he couldn't see his father for more than a few moments. He still has never met his mother...for 'the good of the world', they've passed once more beyond his reach. I wonder...do you think we'll ever see them again...?"

Artoria sent an obscure smile Jynx' way. "I don't know. You're the wizard here. What do you think?"

Jynx was silent for a long moment, and then sighed, fifteen years of suppressed sadness coming out in a small expression, but Artoria felt that full weight within the breath. "I think...that I wouldn't wish what Kain still has to go through…what he's going through now...on anyone. Even back when he was training with me, just that short time, I really saw. I could hardly believe it, hardly could conceive the irony in it all, but there it was. I'm not sure if he even knows yet—if, in that too-dutiful heart of his, he's acknowledged and accepted it—but he's snared completely. And now...going forward...the fate of the world is in his hands. But, more than that...he has to choose between those shadows he's chased all his life, his strongest wish and his greatest dream—and what has to be the most important feeling he's ever had before. He's never had family of any sort, closeness of any sort, no real friends or companions...not like he really needed to have. And now, he has everything he could ever want within his grasp...but he can't take what's on the left and what's on the right at the same time. The most cruel, terrible choice of all."

"I know," Artoria finally agreed after a long pause of her own. "Yes...I know. I saw it, too...I discussed it with him, in fact. He wouldn't tell me all the details, but I'm sure that even then he foresaw the choice. Well...it's his to make, even if he, and she, and they all know that there is only one answer that is even possible for them. As terrible as it is for all four of them...they, all four, will take the personal tragedy over the tragedy that will befall the world if they choose wrong. Even Kain."

Jynx nodded. "Yeah. All we can do...is be here for him if and when he comes to us."

F I N

 _Author's Note: Back to School_

 _Some serious foreshadowing here. The Obsidian Star is vanquished and the world is saved, but not entirely...we've already made mention about how the worlds have been set out of balance, and even without the villains are already hurtling towards disaster. Kalan—and Aeli—are, within the world-binding cocoon the Obsidian Star prepared, doing their part to keep it together, but it won't be enough...something more is required, something Kalan wouldn't let Mai do just then, at that moment. We're only hinting at what may be required, but somehow, it will rock poor Kain's world worse than anything else he's thus endured..._

 _Well, that's enough depressing, tragic teasing and trolling. Kain can put those worries aside for a while as he tries to get his class back into gear for the new school term..._


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: This is a nonprofit fictional story, a FanFiction based on Ken Akamatsu's Negima. I do not own Negima, or most of the other characters included in this work, excepting where it is stated in the author's notes. It is not intended or presented for any commercial profit or personal gain; it is simply a story written for personal fulfillment and presented for public enjoyment, and as an honest homage to the fine story conceived and written by Ken Akamatsu, as well as all the other (innumerable) works that find place herein (and their authors).

Chapter One: The New Term ~Learning Magic~

Monday, September 3rd.

It was alien for every single one of them. Those who had traveled through the Gate had experienced so much...less than three weeks of summer vacation had become more than three months in a magical world, but even for the others, with the strange sights seen in the skies over Mahora, the odd reappearance of their close-lipped, missing classmates, even the few subtle things their teacher had said...

And now they were back in class. Could it, in any way, return to 'normal'?

They certainly weren't going to be able to make it so. Before, many of the girls arrived just in time or even later, and even those that were present early were often out of their seats, lounging around the classroom, talking and chattering about anything...but now every member of the class was in quite early, minutes before the start of class, sitting in their seats, hardly speaking to one another. The world held its breath...

The bell rang, and the door slid open. Kain walked inside. He was...different, but what made the difference all the more incredible was how he shrouded it in normalcy. He came in as he always did, addressed the class, endured their greeting, took role, and began to pester them about their summer homework and the like. He acted as if nothing was amiss...and perhaps that was the most amiss thing of all.

The Kain- _sensei_ they knew was their age and at varying times seemed both older and younger. When on the spot, when searching for something to say, when reacting to their shenanigans, he often became withdrawn, shy, nervous, very childlike. When he became comfortable with a situation or was explaining something well-prepared, he was knowledgeable, precise, searching, calm, and almost frighteningly intelligent. But if you looked closely, he was always shy, fearful, and nervous, and hopefully amiable and expectant.

But this was not that Kain- _sensei_. Fear was gone. Hesitation was gone. An iron soul seemed to thunder out of him...and yet, clearly silhouetted behind it, was a kind of faint but vibrant sadness, and an intensity that was quite different. Even for those who had been in Arcanus Myrror with him, it was a bit of a shock—even as he evolved and grew stronger in his desperate battles to save the class and the worlds, he had been the same Kain- _sensei_. But now...

Kanade's hand shot up as Kain began to wind the class down. Kain glanced over at her quizzically, and she shot to her feet before he could acknowledge or dismiss her. "Kain- _sensei_! Something's definitely up! We demand that you tell us about what happened to all of you over summer break!"

"Yûki- _chan_..." began Hinagiku, trying to summon up a wave of superior authority to drown out the little firebrand.

"Not this time, Hina- _chô_!" Kanade insisted, silencing Hinagiku with a pointed finger of accusation. "You were one, too! Most of the class, in fact! You all went with Kain- _sensei_ , disappeared with him, and now everything about you has changed! This isn't right! We are a class, aren't we!? Haven't we been together for three years and all!? This kind of segregation of the class is unjust and dictatorial!"

Protests, largely muted or muffled, began to rise in response, but Alyssa's voice cut through it all with surprising vigor. "Kain- _sensei_...Yûki- _chan_ does have a point. Perhaps we should all meet at my place tonight to discuss the details? Say, around 9 o'clock? After all, you can't say that they're uninvolved...and having gone this far..."

Kain glanced over at Alyssa, then suddenly smiled slightly. "You're right. As some of those closest to this whole matter, we can't keep them out any longer. Congratulations are in order, Yûki- _san_. You've finally won." He nodded at the blonde demon-girl. "You heard Alyssa. If you want the answers to those questions, you better be at her place tonight. I'm sure you know the way...and if you don't, most here can take you there." Then, with excellent timing, the bell chimed. "Class is over for now. I'll see you all tonight at nine." He folded up his books and papers swiftly and departed.

The class stared after him. Chisame sighed. _('Oi...so we're really going to do this, huh? Just what questions are you answering? There's still some you've never told us, you know...')_

8-8-8

And so they arrived…twenty-six teenage girls with varying amounts of trepidation, nervousness and excitement. Alyssa and Miyu were already inside, of course…but Kain was nowhere to be seen.

It was a large house, but the entry hall began to be cramped as so many girls fidgeted their way inside, past their nervousness and the rest of the bodies. "R-really…" Risa moaned. "Is this the best place for a discussion?"

"My, how prompt," Alyssa cackled from the doorway to the stairs. "I had no doubts that the lady-killer Kain- _sensei_ would gather so many eager little lambs to the slaughter. Of course, most of you _are_ already there. This place obviously won't do for discussion, so follow me…try not to mess anything in here up, or I shall be vexed." And she turned on her heel and started down the stairs. Largely mutely, the troupe followed as they could.

The room that contained her glass kingdom was somewhat larger, however, and they were able to spread out a little, those who hadn't experienced it before quite in awe of the scene. "Hey! Hey! What's this, Alyssa- _chan_?" Izumi asked cheerfully. "It's pretty cool-looking!"

"This is not a toy, Segawa," Alyssa answered with a smile. "It's a magical tool, to put it in terms you can easily understand…but it's also so much more. It's the place we can really talk about this."

"W-what about Kain- _sensei_?" Riku demanded. "I mean…he of all people should be here to discuss this with us, right? Rather, isn't any of it impossible without him?"

"Of course. He's inside waiting already, so we should go join him."

"Inside? Inside where…?"

Alyssa smirked and snapped out some strange, arcane phrase, and they were all drawn into her glass-encased world. Over half of the class was already at least somewhat familiar with the sight, but the neophytes more than made up for their lack of reaction with their own overreaction. "Whoa! Awesome!" crowed Riza. "We really have a magical city in a bottle! Wow! What a palace!"

"Well, how fascinating. I assume this is yours, Alyssa- _chan_?" Miki asked their host.

"Of course. Now quit dawdling and follow me." She marched imperiously towards the great estate past the edge of the magic circle and jungle. Those few who were as of yet unused to magic were dragged along in stunned silence by their more habituated classmates.

There, on a large veranda, sat Kain, sipping tea at a table. He glanced up and smiled at his arriving students. "Well, here we are. Thank you all for coming. Please, sit down." He snapped his fingers, and other tables set out for them were suddenly adorned by a multitude of cups, glasses, cans, and the like—each individual girl's favorite beverage was on hand for them to enjoy. Kain, of course, had been a diligently observant teacher.

"What you are witnessing here, what you have recently witnessed, for those who haven't seen it before…is magic," Kain explained as they all seated themselves. "This is not a joke, a prank, or anything of the sort. We are not talking parlor tricks or prestidigitation. This is magic, a real and vibrant power that exists in subtlety in our world. I have brought you all here to explain this and tell you about the magical world to come…so that all of you can understand the world you are about to inherit. Today, I am not your English teacher, but your magic teacher…your Mahou Sensei Kain."

Kain glanced around at the assembled girls. Most of the faces of those who were experienced were grimly accepting, and the few remainders were gripped with expressions of anticipation and excitement. He smiled slightly at their rapt attention. "Magic exists. It has since time immemorial, but jealous and fearful wizards kept it hidden for the world's safety and their own. We have an entire society dedicated to that objective, and the furthering of our ideals and goals. There is even an entire other world of magic on the 'other side of the veil', you could say. But of course, the world of magic is not so peaceful. You all know about my desire to find my father. He was a hero amongst the society of magic and particularly in the world of magic, since he saved it from an evil force. But he disappeared shortly after I was born, and I always knew it was because of his heroic—and tragic—past. Over the course of my teaching here, I've been looking for clues, and have since become involved in incidents relating to the remnants of the evil he defeated. One by one, many of you became involved in these events and learned about magic…a strange situation that now almost seems like it was always unavoidable. And, finally, we met and defeated the last traces of that evil. Right now, I won't go into detail about the specifics. I'm sure that some of your classmates can tell the tales much better than I can, anyway.

"But we paid a high price for our victory, and the world is in danger…not just the magical world, but our own world, Earth, as well. Because of what the villains did to our world, it is doomed to destruction in less than 100 years' time."

This brought a little bit of consternation to the fascinated class. Even amongst the multitude that had just come from the magical world, this had more or less been mentioned or alluded to, but it had yet to be declared so plainly, and those completely new to this wonder were completely taken aback. Kain raised a hand to forestall their questions. "Great minds on both worlds have been pondering this problem, and I have as well—in truth, I'm the closest to the heart of the problem, because of everything that we've been through…."

"That's right," Chisame suddenly cut in. "Most of us were there that night you spoke to Gödel about it. He had some sort of solution that would require sacrificing most of Arcanus Myrror, the magical world, but you seemed to have a better one. Is that what you're getting at?"

Kain smiled at her. "Yes, Chisame. That is the point of what I'm talking about. I do have a better solution…but it will not allow the world to go back to the status quo. That ship has long since sailed." Turning to address the class as a whole again, he continued, "The 'Obsidian Star', the force that was attempting to destroy our worlds for its own benefit, did enough damage to what we can call 'the fabric of our reality' that this potential doomsday is upon us. The magical world, Arcanus Myrror, is particularly endangered, and one man, Kurt Gödel, supposed that he could reshape and reduce the magical world. All the various scientific points behind these dangers are probably boring and over your head, so I'm trying to simplify: his solution was to rebuild the magical world, but much smaller. That would mean sacrificing all but about 100 million of the people in Arcanus Myrror. I will not—cannot—allow that to happen. So I have devised a better solution, one that will allow Arcanus Myrror to remain as it is, that won't sacrifice everyone. But this isn't some miracle solution—it, too, has a price. In Gödel's mind, the ability to keep the status quo, for magic to be kept strictly by the true mages of Earth and its allies, was the most important thing. He couldn't dream of my solution. But to me, those lives are worth the 'normal life' so many people ignorantly cherish.

"My solution, simply, is to spread the out-of-whack magic out between our two worlds. This will balance the two worlds so that they will both be saved, but it means that Earth, too, will become a magical world. It won't happen overnight; I hope to control it enough and work with the governments of Earth to regulate its spread at least to a degree, but I calculate that after no more than 20 years, magic will become a self-evident fact of our world. The generation after us will all grow up with the knowledge, not the secret, of magic."

"T-this is fascinating, if a little heavy," Matake managed as Kain paused to let this all soak in. "But…w-what does this have to do with all of us…?"

Kain chuckled, then sighed, then swept a tender, sad smile around the group. "Well…everything and nothing. Right now, Oga- _san_ , you, Risa- _san_ and Kanade- _san_ are the only members of the class who know nothing about magic…who are experiencing it for the first time. When I arrived here, I was only told that my job was, against all my expectations and wishes, to teach English to a bunch of girls my age. I was told nothing else about any one of you. But nearly a third of the class was already part of the secret magical world; another few were related to it, even though it had been kept hidden from them; and many more of you found out over the course of my time here, because of everything that happened. It was down to Miki, Izumi, Riza, Riku, Risa- _san_ , Kanade- _san_ , Kaoru, Yukari- _san_ , and Oga- _san_ by the time we were leaving on our summer trip—all the rest, whether they were a part of our club or not, had entered the magical world. And then six of those nine sneaked into the magical world despite our efforts." He spread his hands out in a confused gesture. "Well, I actually do know the reasons, although they're unimportant now…but despite the fact that most of you know nothing of it, this school is actually a school run by mages. Most of the teachers and all of the higher faculty, as well as many of the student leaders, are all important people in the magical circle. That's part of the reason for my teaching here, and part of the reason so much happened that everyone started learning about it. And because of that, Mahora will almost certainly become one of the pioneer sites for magic-normal integration, or whatever you want to call it—magic will be publicly admitted here long before it is elsewhere in the world. That's my plan, anyway. And, since I'm only three short…it's really pointless to keep this secret any longer, especially since you'll know eventually anyway.

"That's the point of this. Once we started picking up so many members, Alyssa joked that the entire class would be a part of it before the end of the year. And now, she might as well be right. I might as well let my entire class know, so that we, at least, don't have to worry about hiding anything from each other. Now Kazumi can share everything with her two friends. Now no one can accuse anyone else of keeping secrets or hogging information. It's all out here, for all of us to consider, as a class."

"So, does that mean you'll be trying to tie the rest of the class to you with contracts?" Alyssa needled him.

Kain didn't flush. He smirked almost rudely at Alyssa. "Well…since you're going there, I'll discuss it." Focusing back on the group again, he continued, "Over the course of my first few adventures, I was facing magical threats far more powerful than I could manage on my own. Despite my stubborn, prideful desire to handle my own problems, I had to have help from those nearby…who invariably happened to be my students. In order for us to have enough magical power to win, these students of mine each forged a magical contract with me, granting us both benefits and magically linking us. Over time, especially during our trip to the magical world, in order to keep everyone protected, we had contracts established with pretty much everyone who had become involved. Depending on your point of view, I guess that can be seen as a bad or a good thing. But now, all the main reasons for those contracts are gone—and I am going to be very busy for the next little while, trying to work out this plan and put it to action. My previous goals have to be set aside, and so even those who seriously meant to follow and support me as my disciples can't do much to aid me. As it stands, I think it's best if we annul pretty much all the contracts we have—none of you should be forced to follow me now."

There was actually a good-sized protest that arose from this declaration. "C'mon, _Sensei_ , you can't be that unfair," Nanami chuckled when the hubbub had died down a little, holding up her card. "I get what you're saying about that—but for many of us more 'normal' girls, these contracts we've made are our only real connections to the magical world, our only sources of magical power. I understand why you think you don't need us with you anymore—especially since the actual fighting has been done—but whether I'm your 'disciple' or not, I don't want to give up my artifact!"

Kain smiled. "Yes, I understand that…those artifacts are wonderful. But we, children all, never gave too much thought to what these contracts really mean. There are two points about these contracts we've largely ignored. First, Kamo briefly called them 'provisional contracts', or in other words, incomplete contracts. These are contracts that bind two souls together, but they aren't 'full' contracts." He paused to let this implication sink in, and while he remained stoic and calm, many of the girls slowly began to blush as the thought fully weighed down on them. "Secondly, those who become my disciples swear to follow me—and the magic of the contract allows me to enforce that pledge, whether it was meant in earnest or not. Magical oaths and geases are not to be taken lightly. Those of you who are contracted to me now, give this serious thought—you were all there for that final scene. You saw what I did to stop the Obsidian Prince—how the power of my contract allowed me to overcome even his magical control, centuries in preparation. I could command any one of you to do anything, and if I did it through the contract, you would be forced to obey. Knowing that—and knowing what I am now, and everything that's happened—can you honestly be all right with this contract, those artifacts, knowing the price you might still have to pay? Knowing that, if I require it, not your aid, but your very lives are mine by right? Are you really willing to put your whole selves in my hands like that? Would you make that choice now?"

He looked around at the faces, many warring with mixed expressions. None of them were prepared for this, none of them were used to it—this was it again, an entirely different Kain Lockeheart. Not the shy, reserved, apologetic, and honestly quite neurotic teacher that tried his best to teach and fit in and capitulate and befriend them all, but a strong, direct, and all too-intelligent schemer, someone who was implying very dark things indeed, things they could never have imagined their Kain- _sensei_ even capable of thinking.

But one voice, quiet but strong, suddenly broke the silence: "Yes, Kain- _sensei_ , I would." The entire class swiveled their eyes to stare at Nodoka, and Kain himself fixed fiery, steeled, searching eyes on her, but Nodoka puffed herself up bravely and pressed on, "It's not just…because I'm desperate for Kain- _sensei_ …for his affections, that I would endure anything he heaped upon me…it's because…I know…even now, that it's impossible. Even if you have that power, you would never use it. You would never make us do anything we didn't want to do…you would never make us do anything at all. You would never take away our freedom, for any reason, even for an instant. Even back then…when you used that power…you used it to _give_ Mai- _san_ her freedom, so she would have the power to resist the Obsidian Prince. And even then, you could have used it at anytime, but you waited until you absolutely had to. No matter how different you are, you're still Kain- _sensei_. And no matter how frightened we might be of that power, you are even more frightened to use it. That's why you're telling us this…because you're afraid of having that much influence over us."

The group continued staring, and Nodoka valiantly tried not to wilt under their collective gaze. Finally, one by one, the other girls turned to the teacher and began to pipe up in support of Nodoka, declaring their belief in their teacher and his integrity.

Kain glanced around with his inscrutable expression, taking in every brave, supportive face, until Miki piped up, "It's really rather unfair, Kain- _sensei_. What you're saying is technically true, and many of us probably, if we're honest, don't want anything to do with battles or dangers or anything like that again. And we don't necessarily want to be at your beck and call, under your thumb, no matter what we might say. But still…like _Honya_ said, we know you aren't the kind of guy who would really take advantage of that power, or abuse it in that way. We also know that, for the most part, the battles and dangers are over. I think of it like this: the contracts, and especially the artifacts that come with it, are like our rewards for enduring those hardships, our compensation. I don't think that there's anyone here who's made a contract who really wants to give it up." She glanced around for confirmation of this declaration, and received no protests. She continued, "I think that's been established. It's unfair of you, Kain- _sensei_ , to try to wriggle out of this and cut us off after all this time."

Kain chuckled. "I was actually trying to be fair…as fair as possible. Right now…depending on how people might view it…the most fair thing to do is to make sure everyone is contracted, or no one is…so I was trying to set the tone for that. They aren't necessary, so if we annulled all of them and all of you went back to your normal, preferred lives, it'd be best for all of us. But if you're going to keep them…with over half the class now contracted to me, it's only fair if everyone receives one, at least if they want the artifact that comes with it so badly. And despite what Alyssa was implying, I'm not eager to add any more contracts." He smiled around at the group, a smile that was far more reminiscent of their old, familiar teacher. "I've said my piece, but now that ball is in your court—as a class, you should decide the contract situation."

He leaned back and said nothing more, leaving it to his class to explain the matter to its confused members, and sat right through the usual overreactions as the whole explanation and implication of the process was given….

8-8-8

Kain settled easily into the seat across from the Principal. He chuckled. "Well, Kain- _kun_ …what is it you wanted to see me about?"

"Well, actually, I'm surprised you haven't already called for me," Kain replied. "Naturally, Takamichi, Meia- _san_ , probably even Eishun- _san_ all already told you all about what happened…but still, to have been just cut loose like that…."

Kensuke Higurashi chuckled again. "Well, to be honest, after all you and your students had gone through, I decided that it would be best to give you some space first. They, in particular, must have had a harrowing time." He shook his head in bemusement. "I let you go, knowing that you would grow from your journey, but…I never expected anything like what happened. You have, indeed, come back a man, a hero, even. Your students…well, some of them seem to have matured more than others, but overall, it was quite a job well done all around…."

Kain waved the commentary away. "Yes, yes. I know you could praise me all day, but I'd rather not endure that. I came on business…but I do have a few things to talk about before that. How is the prisoner?"

"Hoho. Luana- _chan_ is a charming and obedient young thing. I'm not quite sure yet why she decided to follow you through the Gate back to Earth…whatever she was back there, she's a skilled fighter, mage, and probably spy as well, but she doesn't have the power to compete against Takamichi- _kun_ or Meia- _kun_ , or Delryn- _kun_ , who has accepted the main responsibility of watching over her. There are too many here for her to do any kind of sabotage…and she has been a model prisoner overall, but she still won't say anything about what her intentions are, at least not to me. Have you…been avoiding her?"

Kain shook his head. "Not exactly…but I have too much on my plate right now to deal with her. I'll see her soon and see if she's willing to talk about her plans with me. If she won't talk even to me…I'll probably have to figure out some way of sending her back, although I'd like to avoid that if possible, because it might make some of what I'm planning difficult."

"Yes…I'm sure that's mostly what you've come here to discuss, but while we're talking about stowaways, can you tell me more about that other one, the _hanyô_ Inuyasha…?"

Kain smirked. "He's Kagome's guardian, you could say," he explained cheerfully. "When we first went through the gate and were scattered, she was sent back to the place of her mother's ancestors, the blessed land of Takamori, and ended up freeing Inuyasha from a curse so he could defeat a powerful _yôkai_ for her. He protected and guided her around Arcanus Myrror until we were able to meet back up in Orimus. He has…an interesting relationship with her, because she looks just like his old lover who was killed by the Obsidian Star's machinations (and is really her distant relative). Other than that…you'd probably have to ask Kagome herself. He's surly and a bit jaded from all the trials and difficulties he's gone through as a _hanyô_ in that world, but he's a good soul underneath it all. Mostly he's harmless, if rather unused to a nonmagical, high-technology world like ours."

"Hmm. I see. I suppose I will have to talk to Kagome, then," the old man murmured. "But enough of that. I assume you wish to talk about 'what you're planning' to fix the…difficulty that has arisen between the worlds?"

Kain nodded. "Yes. The only solution is to give up on the idea of a 'magical world' and a 'nonmagical world'. In fact, to give up on the idea of only two worlds. I'm not quite sure how it will all shake out yet, but five other worlds that were used in the creation of Arcanus Myrror will be much closer to us…and more importantly, Earth itself is going to have to undergo a magical transformation. It's an extreme idea, but it's the only way I can see this being possible. And it's going to take the help of you and the Magic Council, the nations of Arcanus Myrror, and…most especially…."

Kain continued with his explanation. The principal listened.

"…I see. And you're going to begin this immediately?"

"No. There are some things to work out. My father's…help has given us some time to get it all prepared, but I know…certain parties will want to begin as soon as possible. But there is the matter of the time discrepancy between Earth and Arcanus Myrror—I'd like to get that repaired, first. After that, probably the spring…the end of the school year is probably the best time for that kind of…action…."

"…All right, then. I will present your findings to the Magic Council here. And I'll leave the…repairing of the time discrepancy to you as well."

8-8-8

Although the magical discussion and subsequent contracts had been a huge event to the class (as had the later explaining of the required duration of their stay), the days that followed ended up becoming...surprisingly normal, for the most part. Kain was...still not quite the Kain they remembered, but even to those students who were still reeling from all the magical knowledge being thrust upon them, he was enough for them to be at ease. Of all the class, the one who was currently the most disturbed was Kagome, who had to put up with the frequent interferences of the _hanyô_ Inuyasha, who had a triple threat of almost barbaric lack of knowledge, boredom, and suspicion driving him. The dog-demon was wandering about the grounds, often without his ballcap 'disguise', trying to get into class to see Kagome and complain at her at least a couple times a day, and otherwise making a nuisance of himself. Kenjirô and Kajirô were the main ones tasked with keeping track of him and getting him to behave himself, but even they couldn't do it all the time because they had classes and Inuyasha, of course, did not.

Delryn was asked to help as well, but he declined to spend too much time with the dog-demon; he was more concerned with getting the most out of his own stay at Mahora, checking out some of the classes and clubs. When he was helping, he preferred, as Kensuke had stated, to help with watching over Luana.

And so Kain was not too surprised to come across Inuyasha one afternoon, sniffing the ground and exploring quite like…a dog.

"What are you doing?" Kain demanded.

Inuyasha glanced up at him. "Oh, it's you. This is a strange place. Why are there so many humans about?"

"Because this is Earth. Magic is unknown and kept secret, and nonhuman races are EXTREMELY rare. And completely kept hidden. As far as I know, counting you, we have 2 _hanyô_ , 2 vampires, a robot, a magical spirit humanoid interface, and a _shinigami_ here at the school. That's actually a lot more nonhumans than you'd find in one place pretty much anywhere in this world." Kain smiled. "In fact, you're rather lucky you're here, considering you refuse to be parted from that _kimono_ and blend in. Here at Mahora, they're used to strange sights; you're just odd to them, not suspicious."

"You're saying that _I'm_ the strange one here?"

"A nice summation of my explanation…."

Inuyasha sighed. "Jeez. Why does Kagome have to live in a place like this?"

"Because it's her home. Her family and friends are here…despite everything, she's still just a kid, and she needs to finish her youth off properly. Or something like that. After she's done with it…who knows? She is a _mahô shojô_ now, after all. She feels connected to that world. We'll see…."

Kain clapped the _hanyô_ on his shoulder. "Cheer up. You may be bored being stuck here, but it won't be forever. Try to relax and enjoy yourself. New experiences are always fun."

"Says you," Inuyasha growled, then sighed. "Oh, well. At least, as you say, people aren't treating me like I'm a…a monster, or anything…."

"Of course not. As far as the kids around here are concerned, 'monsters' don't exist…."

8-8-8

"Hard to imagine that this is just a school, and not a city," Luana remarked as they walked through the streets.

"I know what you mean," Delryn replied. "There's no place on Arcanus Myrror like it. Garderobe's closest, from what I heard, but even it doesn't have businesses, commerce, and similar things on its grounds. Even its own train station."

"Everything is so…sleek, and well-manufactured," Luana remarked. "I suppose this is the kind of architecture that becomes normal when science is forced to completely replace magic? How interesting. I suppose this is what Kairen saw when she visited Earth." She glanced over her shoulder at her escort. "What about you, Master Delryn? Are you used to this?"

"Just Delryn, please," the young man sighed for the fourth time. "Well, Dad decided to live in Arcanus Myrror because he thought it was more interesting, and he probably wasn't wrong. He took me to his family home in the Eastern US, though, a few times. And I spent a few months here in Japan at Kyoto, learning swordsmanship from Momo, so I've seen it before. Japan's…interesting…."

"It's not an easy place for a young firebrand to live, that's for sure. It appeals more to the neurotically guilt-ridden, like me."

Delryn and Luana paused and turned to the speaker. Kain was walking down the street towards them, Akari flanking him. He waved at them as he approached.

"Kain…Akari?" Delryn murmured. "What are you doing here…?"

"I've been so busy lately, I haven't had a chance to talk with Luana since she arrived," Kain explained. "I had some time to spare, so I thought I'd come check on her. Oh…." He suddenly looked over at a clock hung conveniently underneath a street lamp. "Ah, what am I thinking…it's about dinnertime. I haven't eaten yet…have you, Luana?"

"Ah, why, no…."

"Then I'll treat you to something. Delryn, why don't you take Akari out somewhere for dinner, as well? I'm sure she hasn't had anything since school let out…."

"W-what?" Akari suddenly looked alarmed. "N-no, I'm fine, I don't need…." And then her stomach interrupted her, bringing silence to the group.

"Well, I happen to be famished, Akari," Delryn finally managed as the girl reddened noticeably. "Would you, ah, I mean, you might as well eat something with me, since I don't want to eat alone? Kain, I guess, wants to be alone with the beautiful girl…like he's used to it or something…."

Akari meekly nodded, and as they started away from the other pair, Delryn asked her, "So, what are you doing here, anyway?"

"I-I don't know…Kain suddenly popped into the club and asked me to accompany him to town…."

"Really…."

Luana and Kain watched them go. "That was interesting," Luana noted. "Did you have a specific reason for that…?"

"I don't know what you mean." He turned and motioned for Luana to follow him. "Follow me…I know a few good places we can eat…."

To his surprise, Luana suddenly moved forward and took hold of his arm, using both of hers to press it against her side. "Come now, Master Kain…don't you know how to escort a lady properly…?"

Kain sighed. "Fine. As you like."

He led her to a middle-class restaurant with an outdoor café area, one quite respectable and expensive but not exclusive enough to require reservations and formal dress. After they ordered and had received their drinks, Luana finally said, "Well, now…what does the great Kain Lockeheart wish to speak to this humble Luana- _chan_ about?"

Kain looked at her in bemusement. "You really are quite a character, aren't you?"

"You sound like an expert on that."

"Have you met my class? Anyway, moving on…I just wanted to ask you a few friendly questions. In particular, I'm interested in why you suddenly decided to jump into the Gate and follow us here."

Luana smirked. "That's all? Really?"

"What did you expect? I understand you haven't exactly been forthcoming with that information, especially to the principal."

"Well, yes, I suppose not…he seems a nice old man, but I don't know him, so what I do isn't his business. _You_ are my master, aren't you? You're the one I answer to."

"I'm not…."

"Eminus- _sama_ committed us all into your care, didn't he? He asked you to take responsibility for us, which you quite publicly did. Therefore, I am your responsibility. It's up to you to decide our fate, so, for all intents and purposes, you are my 'master'." She closed her eyes and smiled brightly at him.

Kain sighed and pinched his nose. "Right. Fine. So does that mean you're willing to share your thoughts with me, then? Or did you just suddenly decide you couldn't be separated from your new 'master' and dove right in? I hope you don't expect me to order you to tell me or anything…."

"No, no…." Luana suddenly grew somber and pensive, her smile fading. "I apologize for my games. A bright personality was clothing I adopted in order to travel about as Eminus- _sama_ 's spy, disguised as a traveling entertainer. When everything about my world changes, I…well, I just felt I needed something to protect myself. A light heart does well." She gazed off into the distance. "I'm not plotting anything, I promise. Eminus- _sama_ is gone. We never…wanted, really wanted, to see the world sacrificed. I don't think Eminus- _sama_ wanted it, either; not because of altruism or anything, but simply because it made no difference to him one way or the other. But he served the Prince, and we served him, so we buried our hearts and tried to carry out the work as coldly as we could. I'm not attempting to excuse myself, I'm just assuring you that, with the Obsidian Star gone, with Eminus- _sama_ gone, none of us have any intention of revenge or anything of the sort. Eminus- _sama_ committed us to your care because he, in his final moments, must have wanted us to live our lives…to be happy. If that's what he wanted, that's certainly what I will try to do. But…as I thought about it…I just don't think I could go back to trying to be happy in that world. Arcanus Myrror…was my home, but in my heart, I killed it, I wished it dead, I wished my heart cold so that I wouldn't cry when it was gone. I tried to turn myself into a demon and not care about it. And so I focused on the negative—the war, the orphans and those who suffered like myself, the twisted politics, the hatred and bigotry and power-mad dark mages. That's all I see when I look at Arcanus Myrror. On an impulse, I was afraid of facing that world and trying to see the good again. But I saw those silly, happy girls, your students, who despite everything they went through still had happy and optimistic views. They had been raised in such peace and happiness that it got them through the horrors they saw in their four short months over there. And I thought…maybe, if it's that kind of world…maybe in that world, I can re-learn to be human, to find peace…to be happy." She turned her gaze back to Kain. "I apologize that I've inconvenienced you with my whim."

Kain considered her carefully. Then he smiled. "No, it's no inconvenience. I'm actually rather happy to hear it. If you're set on trying to find a place…then maybe you can fit in here. In fact, perhaps you'll be useful to me."

"Oh…." Luana's expression took on a fearful, coquettish look, and she drew her arms in and pulled her fists up to partially hide her face as if in fear. "U-useful…I-I'm not sure I can be, b-but if that's what Master Kain wishes, then…I-I am inexperienced, but I will try to be useful…."

"Obviously, I meant be useful towards my plan of saving the world," Kain said, sipping casually from his drink. "If you value your life, please refrain from making those kinds of jokes within earshot of my students."

Luana dropped her timid posture and regarded Kain curiously. "How interesting. I was led to understand that you were largely clueless about the feelings of your students…."

"For my sanity, I pretended to be," Kain replied. "I was deathly afraid of their attention, at the fact that _one_ of them might feel strongly about me, never mind…well, possibly most of them. I don't want to know the number. But that was before. Back when I was human. Now that I've changed…." Kain slowly moved a hand to lightly caress his chest. "Now that I'm something else, it…bothers me, but I'm able to ignore it more easily. Accept it. Treat it like background, like it doesn't matter."

Luana stared, then suddenly her countenance fell. "I-I'm sorry…that's…because of me…."

"Don't apologize. I appreciate your regret, but it's long past, and I know that, in the same situation, you'd do it again. That's the kind of thing people will do for love. Besides, in the end it helped me. I'm grateful to have this demon heart, now. Part of me mourns the fact that I'm no longer human, but even before, I had essentially traded in my humanity of my own free will. Being part Infernal, now…just makes a few things easier. If I didn't have this heart, I couldn't have beaten the Obsidian Prince. And now…because of this heart…I should be able to make the tough choices I need to, no matter how hard…."

Luana's expression softened from Kain's assurances, and turned to a kind of morbid curiosity as he mumbled his last comment. "Tough choices…I assume, regarding the plan you must have to undo the damage we did? What are you planning, exactly…?"

"Nothing extreme by society's view, in the large picture. Kurt Gödel thought the only way was to sacrifice most of Arcanus Myrror, billions of people. My plan won't technically cost any lives…it won't require anyone to die. But I will have to make a sacrifice, instead…one that will break my heart. But that's fine. Personal isn't the same as important. I'll still hurt, but I'll be able to make the choice, and work past it. But that's enough of that, for now. Let me explain to you how you can be of use to me…."

8-8-8

Hinagiku poured over the papers and letters and missives and notes. So much important work to do…coming back from that crazy trip at such a time left a lot undone, and now she had to deal with it. But that was all right. Throwing herself into her Student Council work was cathartic, after all, and kept her mind off the other worries that were heaped upon her….

There was a knock at the door. "Come in," she said automatically, not looking from the document in front of her. The knocker did, opening the door and striding across the room silently.

The shadow fell across Hinagiku, and she looked up…and froze at the sight of him. "Report and proposals from the Boys' Student Council about the Fall Festival," Kajirô murmured, dropping the papers on her desk. Then, without another word, he turned and started to walk out.

After a few moments, Hinagiku suddenly burst out, "Kaji- _kun_ …wait." He stopped obediently, but didn't turn around. "Look at me, dammit!" she suddenly seethed, her anger rising despite herself.

Kajirô did so obediently, but made no other movement, didn't speak. His eyes were carefully neutral. "Is that all?" Hinagiku demanded. "No, not that, um…h-how do I put this…w-we haven't spoken to each other, really, since Arcanus Myrror…since…that…."

"Yes, it was a troublesome time," Kajirô answered casually. "Kain- _kun_ and even the Red Wings, all fighting like that…."

"No, not that! Well, yes, that was incredible too, but I'm not talking about that! Then, right before that, when…when we were fighting together…y-you suddenly said that…that you l-like me…."

"Oh, that. Yes, I did. So?"

"So!? Don't act like it was nothing! That was huge! That was a world-shattering event! Is the fact that you like me mean nothing to you or something!?"

Kajirô sighed. "What do you want me to do, Hinagiku- _san_? Laugh and say that it was just a joke? Suddenly drop to my knees and beg you to be my girlfriend? Is there some third option for this response? I meant what I said, Hinagiku- _san_ , but…I seriously believed I was going to die. I was going to die, and I knew that I would regret for all eternity if I died before confessing my feelings, but never once have I believed that anything would come of it. That's why I _only_ did it expecting that I would die. That I didn't die is a bit of a disappointment."

"P-please be serious here!"

"Oh, I'm very serious," Kajirô murmured. "Hinagiku- _san_ …I've loved you for as long as I could remember. You are my first and most precious friend. You are the person I've admired and cared for all my life. My family…my parents are good people, but they are important, and busy, and there's only so much time they can afford to give a son, especially a son like me. My brother, whom I so admired and looked up to, is gone, left a long time ago. All I ever had…was you. But, I always knew…that I didn't have the same hold in your heart. That's why I resolved just to watch you from afar. I knew that telling you my feelings would just be a burden to you…that you'd be far better off with me simply as your friend. Isn't that the case?"

"You can't just assume that!" Hinagiku insisted. "If you don't let your thoughts be known, how can anyone judge you properly?"

"Well, let's test that, Hinagiku- _san_. Remember, _you_ are the girl I confessed to. I told you my feelings. Now, how do you feel about it?"

Hinagiku stared at him, then began to redden suddenly. "W-what!? N-no…how am I supposed to answer that!?"

"You see?" Kajirô smiled and turned slowly away. "I didn't want our relationship to be changed, but it's too late now. This is the truth. Yes, I've avoided you since we came back…but haven't you been avoiding me, too? You can't handle my feelings. But that's how it is. You have someone else in your heart, still, so all I can do is keep my distance."

Hinagiku grew even more wide-eyed than before as the implication of that comment sunk in.

 _"She already has someone she feels too strongly for,"_ Kajirô had told her, when speaking about his anonymous love. _"Your Kain-_ sensei _."_

"Y-you!" she shrieked. "Y-you know…about…!?"

"You just now figured that out?" Kajirô muttered.

"H-how did you know…!?"

"It's actually rather obvious to anyone with eyes and half a brain. I know I could never compete with someone like him. So, I think I should just spare the both of us any more agony and take my leave."

" _Wait_!" Hinagiku insisted, strongly, fighting to get her assertive control back. Trying to assume a strong, authoritative posture, she continued, "W-while it's true that…that I don't feel…that…that I can't answer your feelings yet, it's too childish just to run away because of something like that! No, just because you l-li…l-li…just because you've said your piece is no reason that we have to stop being friends! If that were to happen, I'd definitely, definitely feel like I'd lost!"

 _('Lost what?')_ Kajirô thought.

"Anyway! You have to stop avoiding me! And I'll stop avoiding you, too." She reddened slightly and turned a fierce glare on her friend. "T-this doesn't mean that I'm giving up on Kain- _sensei_ and tentatively accepting your feelings because I know I can't get his heart, o-or anything of the sort! I'm not that weak that I'd give in to the first person who happened to like me! But I'm not going to lose or run away because someone said such things! So we're going to remain friends, understand?"

Kajirô stared in confused shock. "Um…okay…?"

"Right! So, we'll try to continue on as normal…as best we can." She turned away, and muttered, "A-as for that…w-well, we'll see…how youth changes, after all…."

"Sorry, what was that, Hinagiku- _san_?"

"Nothing! If there's nothing else, you're dismissed, Kaji- _kun_!"

Kajirô smiled slightly. "Yes, Hinagiku- _san_." And he started to go.

"Wait! One more thing. I-if you really think of me like that, you should really do something about how you address me. You've called me 'Hinagiku- _san_ ' for as long as I can remember, but…that's too informal. It sounds like you're making fun of me. I've never liked hearing that from my friends. So…you should at least just call me Hinagiku, without honorifics, or something."

Kajirô stared, then nodded. "All…all right…I'll do that…Hina." He smiled more casually, bowed, and exited the room.

Hinagiku stared after him. Then she folded her arms across her desk, put her chin on them, and leaned it down to the side. "He…adapted to that way too quickly…idiot."

She gazed at nothing as her thoughts turned again to the coming months. As hectic and active as this year had been thus far, she somehow felt that, even if they'd returned home, their peace and quiet would not be present this fall and winter. Indeed, she wondered if those days would ever return….

F I N

 _Author's Note: Settling In_

 _The opening chapters of this Act are going to be a lot of dialogue, soul-searching, emotional troubles, and planning and events, and not much in the way of action and slapstick comedy. Of course, after the intense battles of the previous Arc (which ran from the end of Act 7 all the through all of Act 16), a break from action might be a blessing; it certainly is to most of the Mahora students._

 _Yes, I've been couching Kain's plans in a shadowy language, hinting at a lot while saying nothing. For this to work with proper emotional impact, I can't say what's going to happen. I can make suggestions, and if my dear readers guess at what's coming, they can read with dread, but I can't tell about what actually happens until it comes upon us. The biggest point of writing, after all, is hitting the emotional strings of the readers. With several Acts to go before this plan is fully revealed and culminated, coming right out and telling you now all the dark secrets would lessen the impact by the time it arrives…and what comes after…._

 _No more teasers, there. On to the chapter review!_

 _As I briefly mentioned in the last chapter of Act 16, I brought Inuyasha into Earth because I wanted to do a parallel with some of Inuyasha's modern day adventures from the anime. And besides, Kagome + Inuyasha is one of the more, well, real, pure romances from all the anime I've pilfered, so it was only appropriate to bring it in. We had tiny bits of suggestion of it in Act 9, but not much; I don't intend for it to take over this or the following Acts, but I needed to have Inuyasha around so I could look at it a little, make it kind of plain, especially to those who aren't as familiar with the anime (although I think it's one ALL of my readers know well, unless this really ends up online after all). Anyway, those are the two reasons why he's here._

 _And Luana? I have a particular place for her, which Fate had in the original. It's a very minor thing, especially since the ending to Negima was oddly rushed and it concluded what I'm going to do in 4 Acts (with extra action and stuff) in just 20 chapters, a very short time in manga. But I wanted to flavor it in anyway, and since Eminus is gone, to fit properly it had to be one of his girls. Ellis was my first choice, but since it involves being on Earth, well…the elf-girl is a lot harder to hide. Luana is my next favorite, is impulsive and dreamy enough to try something like this, and so she just kind of fell in. No, despite her teasings and flirtings, she's not actually in love with Kain, after Kain, or will be interfering in his romances in any real way. Well…she might discuss such things. But she's not joining his 'Fan Club'._

 _Hmm, I should go back to the contracts. This was a reasonable extrapolation from how I'd put it all together. The contracts were never really addressed at the end of Negima; all the girls kept them without a second thought. Kain thinks about it. Negi ended up making a few more contracts in a hurried manner in the super-swift ending (I'll probably be harping on that for the rest of the story), for several fairly good reasons, but it was, as it always was in Negima, mostly without much thought (sounds contradictory, I know, but if you were to read it and I explained it, you'd understand). Here, it's 'only fair' if every girl in his class has one, as long as they want it (and honestly, none want to give it up who've gotten it, and most everyone wants one who doesn't). Matake probably would pass, since she has no interest in Kain or magic, Caria likewise has interest only in machines of her own make, and Yuki, Alyssa, and Miyu have no desire for that due to their various states of inhumanity, but Risa wants the card desperately, Kanade would not want to be left out, and Rakasu…. Well, Rakasu is friendly and companionable, innocent and unmoved much by romance. She has a position and responsibilities that would help make her useful to the cause, especially with a contract, so she'd like one. She'd kiss for it without any thought one way or another—I know it. After all, in SEED, she is picked up in a life pod by hero Kira's ship, which is technically her enemy, but innocent boy Kira doesn't like seeing the girl subsequently used as a hostage against the ZAFT forces, and so he decides to sneak her out and return her to her people, and especially to her fiancé, his best friend Athrun. When he gets her to the lockers so they can climb aboard his Gundam and get off the ship, he pulls a spacesuit out for her to put on, but as he wonders about how she's going to put it on over her elaborate dress, she calmly and innocently starts disrobing in front of the shocked Kira without a second thought. It's not flirty or mischievous in any way, it's just classic Rakasu…innocent and trusting, knowing that Kira won't do a thing to her. (As an amusing continuation note, she stuffs her dress in the belly of her suit, and so when she and Kira come out of the lockers dressed for space and her with this bulk at her abdomen, Kira's partner-in-crime friend Sai remarks, 'I wonder how she got pregnant so fast'.) So, to sum up my ramblings and explain properly, Risa, Kanade, and Rakasu all decided to make contracts with Kain._

 _Will these contracts be important? Hard to say. Rakasu's has already been planned to have a significant role, based on one from Negima (in what little time there was for significant ideas in that fast-forward ending), but the other two are too minor to matter much. Though they would have to have some significance in the upcoming game, so…yeah, I guess we'll have some showing from them. Darn, I better start coming up with some weird artifacts for them, fast…._

 _Anyway, lastly, Hinagiku and Kajirô. Kajirô's origin, as I believe I explained already, was technically the Magiverse. I decided that Season 4 was going to involve Ryan and crew of the Howling Moon hosting the eccentric young heiress Nagi Sanzen'nin and her class in a tour of the Magiverse, bringing the entirety (in various ways, since not all the characters are in her class) of the Hayate universe into the Magiverse. And because I'm an interfering guy who hates harems with great ladies who end up as the odd girl out, I decided to create a character for this unique Hayate group that could be Hinagiku's eventual love partner, stealing her from Hayate (perhaps to his relief; although I personally am someone who would be glad to ship Hayate + Hinagiku, I just don't see it happening in this mess). Since it was already a magic world, he had his Kamikaze in that universe, too, so he was easy to adapt. At one point—in fact, the ending to Season 4 was going to be another copy of Negima's Magic World Arc anyway—Hinagiku and Kajirô were going to be in quite the similar situation, where Kajirô believes he is going to die, insists Hinagiku run away so she won't die with him, and confesses before going into battle so he'll have no regrets. And then, after surviving…he gets the_ awkward _. But it's the start of something. How closely am I going to follow it here? Not too closely—they are both more of the minor characters. We'll see just how it turns out when we finally reach the story's final Epilogue-style endgame…._

 _Okay, that will do for now. Let's get on with the story, already!_


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: This is a nonprofit fictional story, a FanFiction based on Ken Akamatsu's Negima. I do not own Negima, or most of the other characters included in this work, excepting where it is stated in the author's notes. It is not intended or presented for any commercial profit or personal gain; it is simply a story written for personal fulfillment and presented for public enjoyment, and as an honest homage to the fine story conceived and written by Ken Akamatsu, as well as all the other (innumerable) works that find place herein (and their authors).

Chapter Two: Looking in the Mirror ~Changing Lives~

"Ah, Saturday," Kagome said with a sigh, stretching. "We've only been back to school for a week, for already I'm grateful for the weekend."

"I know what you mean," Mai giggled from her position at the kitchenette as she worked on breakfast. "It was nice to get back to a normal life for a while…but I've never been good with school myself."

"I'm surprised you don't have a job today," Momo remarked from a corner she had taken to practice her calligraphy—in traditional Japanese style, it could not be practiced on a desk or at a table, but only on a _tatami_ mat floor. "You'd been very busy before…but you haven't had any jobs since we got back home, have you…?"

"No…I'm…well, on hiatus or vacation for a while yet…I knew that we'd have to recover from the trip…even if we had no idea just how rough that trip was going to be…."

"Can't blame you," Kagome remarked, as she started to remove her pajama top. "But, you know…."

"Hey, Kagome!"

The world froze as Inuyasha appeared at the dorm room window, with Kagome in the midst of pulling up (and off) her top. Then she suddenly broke the still by dropping her top back and angrily yelling, "Inuyasha, _osuwari_!" Inuyasha's necklace glowed, and he went dropping outside down to the ground with a crash. She moved to the window and yelled down, "Stay out of my room!" Then she slammed the window shut, pulled down the shade, grabbed her wand off of her desk and made a few lightning-quick passes over it while chanting. "There!" she declared with finality, tossing her wand back to her desk and resuming her dressing with fierceness.

Mai and Momo stared at the window, then turned their gazes to Kagome. "That was…maybe a bit harsh?" Mai asked.

"You ought to give him a break," Momo remarked. "It can be tough being a stranger in a strange land. I know what he's going through quite well; honestly, after this summer, you should, too."

"He still hasn't learned anything about privacy," Kagome huffed as she finished changing. "I know it's hard on him, but he's really been aggravating me…I almost wish he'd stayed in Arcanus Myrror…."

"Almost?" Mai asked with a smirk. Kagome shot her a glare, and she turned back to her cooking. "But I agree with Momo; he's had a frustrating week himself, stuck here with nothing and no one familiar. Even if he spent that month with us after we got back together, he never warmed up to anyone else. It's your day off; maybe you should show him around and spend some time with him. Help with that stir-craziness he's got."

Kagome continued glaring, and Momo added, "A lot of girls—especially ones in our class—would give anything to have a young man pursuing them with such vigor."

Kagome whirled on Momo. "T-that's not…it's not like that…!"

Momo ignored the outburst, instead looking up thoughtfully and putting a finger to her chin, adding, "Of course, most of those in our class wish that Kain- _sensei_ were that particular young man pursuing them, but…well, that's not here nor there. I agree with Mai. Show Inuyasha- _san_ a little attention today; it might help with keeping him…settled."

Kagome sighed. "Fine, fine," she said in defeat. "I get it. Let's not talk about that anymore."

Mai finished with her cooking and brought the food over for her roommates. "I'm more interested in talking about you, Mai," Kagome said as they began eating. "You've put your part-time jobs on hold, but, otherwise…how are you? We've been back for a week…but other than Kain- _sensei_ , I don't think anyone had as rough a time over there as you did. Are you really okay, Mai?"

Mai stopped her eating, putting a hand on her chin and staring away. "Well…I think so. Here at this school, I'm Tokiha Mai. I'm not Mai Alusia Hairen Takiva." She turned back to the group with a smile. "I think I'm better than I have been in a while. I was able to put a close to that chapter of my life. Now, I can just go back to being Tokiha Mai. Right now," she continued with a weary sigh, but keeping her smile, "the biggest problem I have is my schoolwork."

Momo continued eating peacefully while Kagome sized Mai up. "You do seem okay," she admitted finally. "But…after what happened at the end there…I was wondering if, all else aside, you were feeling guilty over Kalan- _san_. You both argued over…the Crystal Throne, and going inside it to…I don't know how to even talk about it, but to keep the worlds from being destroyed, right? He went in…and you thought it was your job…."

Momo finally reacted, shooting Kagome an alarmed look. Mai's face froze just an instant, but then her satisfied smile returned. "No…that's part of that past. I can't do anything now, especially as I am now. Kalan- _san_ took the choice from me, because…because he wanted Tokiha Mai to be able to live a normal, happy girl's life. If I didn't try my best at that…if I dwelt on that, and let it worry me…it would make that sacrifice for nothing, and I couldn't face Kain if I wasted it. Besides…Kalan- _san_ won't be alone in there."

Kagome stared in surprise, and Momo murmured, "Aeli- _san_ …."

"D-does Kain know?" Kagome quavered, eyes wide.

"I'm sure he does," Momo said. "But…he's Kain- _sensei_. I'm sure he has plans…."

"But now _I_ am going to call a halt to that depressing talk!" Mai declared. "Now, we should start getting Kagome ready for her date…."

"H-hey now! First of all, this is _not_ anything like that…!"

8-8-8

Kain had already vacated his room long before the chaos had started next door. Few of the students were up early on the first weekend after the new term started, but those that might have been would have spotted Kain underneath the World Tree, looking up at it and doing little else for some time. He did not break his spell until Kamo appeared on his shoulder. "Well, Kiddo, I'm here. What's up?"

"How about on your end?" Kain replied with a smirk. "You took your time this morning. Enjoying the late morning antics of the girls this morning, O illustrious voyeur?"

"Hey, hey, don't slander my character! I could have been checking anything out…."

"But you were hovering around the dorms there, and you weren't anywhere near me."

"Curses, that's right; you can sense me if I'm anywhere in the area with your new senses. All right, but to be honest, I was only listening, not peeking—not that it really matters, since I'm an immortal spirit anyway, not a flesh-and-blood real mortal. Ahem. Anyway, your girls are still in some interesting emotional states. Risa- _chan_ is absolutely thrilled with her card, of course, and the fact that her roommate is a vampire is nearly as thrilling. Kanade- _chan_ feels dangerously empowered now; you'll have to keep an eye on her. Miki- _chan_ is another one; you think _I_ am a voyeur, but she is already making big plots and plans with her fellows."

"I'm sure," Kain murmured. "I was planning on dropping by their 'club' more often anyway, and I think I'll have Chisame keep an eye on her, too…I have no doubt she can hack Miki's artifact as necessary. She really wants to be useful, anyway, and I can't bring her into anything here…not yet. So, moving on from your extracurricular activities; I need a couple big favors from you, Kamo. Probably rather unpleasant favors."

"Ah? That sounds serious…what _unpleasant_ thing could you possibly want from me?"

"I'd like you to bring your fellow spirits Milleko and Alvaris here to me. Specifically, I want Milleko now, and Alvaris later when we get to our destination."

Kamo was silent and still. "Well, you don't mess around. Milleko can be a pain, but overall I don't have a problem calling on her if you really need her; but Alvaris? _Why_?"

Kain chuckled. "I need both of them. To start the healing process, we need to get the worlds put together again, and the best way to solve that will need both of them. Just bring them; _I_ will deal with them."

Kamo sighed. "Fine. Although, you know, you could always get Kazumi- _chan_ to summon Milleko, and maybe even Alvaris…."

"Yes…but there are several reasons I don't want to involve her. For one thing, she can't make this kind of trip that easily; better not to risk it."

"Fine, fine. Let's get Milleko, then, and you can tell me where you want to go…."

There was a pulse in the air, and then a swirling white mist gathered. "Who summons the great and dread Milleko!?" demanded the mist in a childish voice. Then it exploded into a familiar, stuffed-animal-looking form, which giggled happily. "Just kidding! Heya again, Fox-Boy! Good to see ya, Kamo, you perv!"

"Hey yourself." Kain crooked an arm, and Milleko hopped onto it easily from her aerial perch. "Thanks for coming."

"Oh, I could never refuse an offer from Kamo- _kun_ and his favorite new pet! And look at you! You smell so…." She sniffed happily, but then her smile went to a look of disgust. "Ugh…you smell nice on the surface, but there's an ugly stink underneath…."

"It's not his fault," Kamo explained. "He ascended to magical perfection, which was the first smell, but then the Obsidian jerks cut out his heart and replaced it with a demonic one."

"Hmm…how tragic." Milleko seemed genuinely depressed by this, but she returned quickly to her bubbly self and asked, "But where's Kazumi- _chan_? I was hoping I would see her here…."

"Not this time," Kain said. "It would be too difficult for her. Let me explain. I need to go to Arcanus Myrror, to see Queen Artoria Pendragon, sometime in the early morning of December 23rd. Assuming, of course, that at this specifically requested time she still has custody over those former disciples of Pakrov Eminus."

"Ah…I see," murmured Milleko, thinking cutely, one paw massaging her (more or less) temple and crossing the other on her other arm. "Yes, she still has them at her estate in Orimus…it's just after the world's been saved, and they're still picking up the pieces."

Kain nodded. "That's perfect. That should give me everything I need. If you would, please…."

"Okay, then!" Milleko agreed easily. "Let's go!"

And immediately they all winked out.

8-8-8

"Everything is so difficult," Yue moaned as she drank from her strange drink. "It's tough having forgotten the greater part of my schooling for this year…the largest term of the year, and I don't remember any of it. And it wasn't like it was that easy to begin with…."

"Yes…you've never liked studying," Nodoka giggled. "But…you were so amazing as a HiME! I'm sure that if you try hard, you can excel here as well!"

"No, I really don't think so," Yue denied. "Well…it's not like it once was. It's…boring…but unlike before, I can…see the merits of it." She sighed. "If only I had my complete memory back…."

"Actually, I think I've finally discovered the reason for it," Ami mentioned.

Her two friends looked at her in surprise. "Really!?" Nodoka cried in delight.

"W-what is it!?" Yue breathed with an unusual level of emotion. "Is it…something that can be fixed!?"

"Well, I believe so." Ami assumed a lecture pose before her two eager pupils. "Now, this started when you arrived in Arcanus Myrror, and Arika- _san_ collided with you while practicing a forgetfulness spell, correct?" Yue nodded, and Ami continued, "Now, it always struck me as odd that a spell from a novice like Arika- _san_ could have such a significant, long-lasting effect; even if the accident and the head blow complicated matters, permanently forgetting everything was too much. In addition, you were under the care of a Celestial, Mashiro Kazahana. She, at least, should have been able to do something for you, but she never did. I only met Mashiro- _san_ briefly myself, but from her actions and her personality, it is difficult to imagine she would casually leave you flailing in the dark, and it's impossible that she would be unable to undo the spell of a mere novice human mage.

"So, in other words…there is something else that really caused this?" Yue queried, eyes widening. "What?"

"Well…it can only be you."

"M-me!?"

"That's right. This is my theory. When we learned Nodoka had fallen for Kain- _sensei_ , we were genuinely excited for her and did our best to support her. We pressed and pushed her, wishing for her happiness and the fulfillment of her wishes. But then, when you finally fell for Kain- _sensei_ yourself…it traumatized you. You had no thought but that this involuntary affection was a betrayal of your friend, treason of the highest order, even more so when Nodoka learned of it. And so, when you were hit by that spell, your subconscious buried your memories in order to hide from that gnawing pain. Deep down, you _wanted_ to forget about it all."

"B-but…th-that's not…" Yue sputtered, reddening, feeling crushed under Ami's words. "I-I don't remember…a-assuming that…I mean, how do you know that it's my fault, or rather, the fault of my subconscious?"

"Because of what happened at the battle after the party," Ami continued calmly. "When Nina- _san_ was wounded so badly right before your eyes, it snapped something inside you and part of your memory returned. But the only thing that hasn't returned is your memory of Kain- _sensei_ and all that happened since he arrived. This is the proof: your heart is not yet ready to face him and your feelings, and so you've refused to remember him. You don't want that feeling of betrayal to return."

Yue stared at the floor, downcast. She was shaking; she tried to think about it rationally, and the rational thought was that Ami had to be exactly right. Even now, the accusations…no, that is, the suggestions Ami offered inflamed emotions of shame, fear, and denial in her, and that fact was proof that, even now when she remembered nothing of it, the thought that she should fall for the same man she had set apart in her mind for her best friend was a terrible, hot knife in her heart….

"Assuming…that is…this…this is probably the case," Yue finally muttered aloud. "In that case…is it really necessary that I get my memory back? Maybe I should just be content like this…."

"Oh, dear, now her conscious mind is agreeing with her subconscious," Ami sighed. "Yue, do you really think that it's better for you to carry that hollowness? You, a student of philosophy, should know how dangerous self-denial of that nature can damage the human psyche…."

"That's right!" Nodoka agreed, taking Yue's hands and forcing her around so she could stare her in the face. "Yue, you have to get your memories all back! There's too much good that's happened! Even if the thought that we're romantic rivals is painful, we've had too many happy times, too many great events! You can't run from that; I don't want you to suffer because of me! We'll get it back, and I know how to do it!"

"H-how?" Yue quavered in a small, quiet voice.

"You need to confess to Kain- _sensei_!"

"Ah, exactly, Nodoka!" enthused Ami. "That's just what I was thinking!"

Yue, however, gave a strangled cry of panic.

"You have to do it, Yue!" Nodoka pressed. "I've confessed to him…you have to let your feelings out, too! It's not fair that only I've told him how I feel. We have to be on the same ground, or it isn't right! And that way, by finally admitting your feelings out loud, you should come to terms with your feelings and allow those buried memories to come back out."

"B-b-b-b-but I can't!" Yue wailed. "I-I-I-I…you say that I fell for Kain… _sensei_ , but I have no such memory! I hardly know him! I only first met him that last month in Arcanus Myrror, and now he's taught us for a week! I can't have any feelings for him! And I certainly can't tell him that I have feelings for him!"

"You can, and you must," Ami murmured. "You have to come to terms with it, Yue. I don't think memories are required for love; once it blooms, it will always be there, no matter what. Do you think Kalan- _san_ or Aeli- _hime_ have no love for Kain- _sensei_ simply because they never acquired any real memories of him? This is the only way out for you, Yue. I know it's hard; you don't have to do it now, but you should think about it. You should give it a lot of thought…if you want to be whole again, it's a step you'll have to take."

Yue looked down, not meeting their eyes. "I understand," she finally murmured. "I know what you mean, but…I-I'm not ready now. Maybe…someday…but not now…."

8-8-8

Artoria, Jynx, Kurt, and Lina sat at the tables on the veranda, lazily watching Gourry standing at the edge of the balcony, practicing his sword swings. "It's good to just sit and relax," Jynx murmured, sipping from his mug of coffee. "To think that it's all over now…."

"I'm surprised to hear that coming from you," Kurt murmured. "I had thought that you were quite tired of being cooped up and trapped in that prison, that it was simply abominable."

"Oh, it was," Jynx agreed. "Being stuck without being able to get out was the worst. But now, being able to go and do what I want but not needing to...that is perfect bliss, and something I don't think I've…ever enjoyed."

"You're the one who chose to follow Kalan," Artoria needled him with a smile. "You could have left at any time, you know…but you had to choose to be the great hero's sidekick…."

Jynx waved it away. "Well, that's not a problem anymore…."

"No…but it's not really all over now, is it?" Lina suddenly put in. "Sure, the Obsidian Star is gone…but…there's still the aftereffects. Kalan can keep it in check for a while, but he can't stop it." She glanced over at Kurt. "What about you, _Megane-san_? Aren't you going to continue with _your_ grand scheme? Why are you kicking back with us?"

Kurt gave her a semi-offended look. "You know very well my plan hinged on the possession of Kain Lockeheart at minimum, and really was quite impossible without the Crystal Princess anyway," he said. "And since Kalan Lockeheart vanished and took the Crystal Throne with him, there is little I can do. It is out of my hands. All I can do is hope that your dear friend Kain- _kun_ is as good as his word, and truly does have a better solution worked out…."

"He does…that kid never says what he doesn't mean," Lina replied. "Stumped me how he figured it all out, but he's just the kind of guy to worry about those things even when it _isn't_ a problem. Anyway…."

They all started and jumped to their feet as the distortion began to rend the air, and the space above and in front of them warped. They stared as a figure materialized and lit upon the ground…all except Gourry, who continued his swings as if nothing were happening, or at least as if he failed to notice anything extraordinary happening.

Kain was the figure who hit, Kamo on his shoulder. He straightened himself, held out his hand, and Milleko fell perfectly, feet-first, onto his palm. "And we've arrived!" the creature cooed triumphantly. "Here we are! Ah, heya, Black Cat! It's really you! And a creepy Glasses Guy! Oh, Lina Inverse! We meet again, for the first time, for the third time! Ah, and wow, it's King Arthur!"

They all stared in utter shock and confusion. "Kain!" Lina shouted first, jumping to her feet in glee, and then quickly trying to stifle her pleasure. "What, back already?" she growled with more of her usual blasé attitude. "You just couldn't stay away or something?" Her scowl deepened and she pointed at Milleko. "And what's with this stuffed animal?"

Kain laughed. "Good to see you all again," he said cheerfully. "Surprising to see all of you together, or maybe not. It's been a while for me, less for you. This is Milleko, a magical spirit, friend/kin of Kamo, and she's responsible for us being here. While Kamo is a spirit of contracts, she is a spirit of space and time, and she's helped me out once before."

"Oh, wait, is this that spirit that got you back from that alternate future you were sucked into?" Lina continued, still leading the conversation.

"That's right," Kamo said with a sigh. "She can get on my nerves, but she's an old, uh, 'friend', I guess. Pay no attention to her ramblings; because her domain is space/time, she is even more aware of alternate realities, parallel universes, pocket dimensions, and similar expanded worlds. All creatures outside of space and time, including most true demons, can perceive these worlds and note any changes that happen, only really existing in one timeline, but she can see and experience them all almost at will. She's probably met all of you before, or at least some version on you in some other universe or dimension, so pay her ramblings no mind."

"I see; that would explain some of her enthusiasm," Artoria murmured, a small smile crossing her face. "Still, to confuse me with my honored ancestor…it seems 'she' has difficulty of her own with genders, does she not?"

"Hehe, lady, you'd be surprised!" Milleko purred.

"In any case," Artoria continued, ignoring further comments from the suspect spirit, "what brings you back to us so quickly, Kain? We're quite pleased to see you again, but if you're returning here immediately, what was the point in leaving in the first place?"

"It's been a week for me," Kain replied, still smiling. "I'm staying over on that side. I'm taking care of everything on that end, but there're a few things to do over here." He glanced around at them all, his expression going serious, and his gaze lingered on Kurt as he explained, "I'm preparing my plan to stabilize the worlds—not just Earth and Arcanus Myrror, but all seven of them. Before I can really get started on that, however, I have to fix a few broken threads in the binds. Earth and Arcanus Myrror are still out of sync chronologically; it's barely September back on Earth, but tomorrow's Christmas Eve here, right? So we need to get that cleaned up. That's all I'm here for, for now."

"Ah, just reconnect some broken strings of time," Jynx smirked. "That easy, huh? Well, Kain, what ideas do you have? It's not an easy fix…."

"I'm well aware. First of all, I'm going to need the help of some of Eminus' former servants."

"Those girls?" Lina asked dubiously. "What, exactly, do you need with them?"

"You'll see when we get there. You're all welcome to accompany me and watch, if you like." He focused on Artoria. "Can you take me to see them, your Majesty?"

"Of course," Artoria replied, rising. "Follow me."

"Hey, Gourry!" Lina called as they started to follow her inside. "C'mon! We're going in!"

Gourry stopped and glanced over quizzically. Then he spotted the new arrival. "Oh, is that Kain? He's already back?"

"Just how can you miss the obvious so badly!?" Lina berated him.

8-8-8

One of Kain's students had elected to annul her contract, and Kain reluctantly agreed to it. For her, it was reasonable, after all. For Risa, it was mind-boggling.

"You had an amazing card like this, this wonderful 'contract' thing, and you gave it up!?" she asked her other roommate while her sister glowered at her from the corner. "How could you think of it!?"

Erika sighed. "It was for the best," she said wearily. "I'm not a normal girl, a normal human…I'm…I'm a vampire, you know…."

"Yes, and that's so cool!" Risa sighed. "To be an immortal creature of the night, going about in search of romantic liaisons…."

"I don't think _Fukukaichô_ really qualifies as a creature of the night," Riku muttered. "And if she were, wouldn't it be going about in search of _blood_?"

"Yes, yes, but that's the problem," Erika interrupted. "I…have to drink human blood. And if I'm contracted to someone…I have to drink _their_ blood…and I don't like drinking human's blood. Much less that of someone I care about…." _('No matter how good it tastes,')_ she added to herself.

"But, that doesn't make any sense, either," Risa protested. "In all the romance books I read, the vampires always drink the blood of their love, right before or in the middle of their romantic escapades! Of course, those vampires are always men, and the humans the women, but it should be the same, right? Why would you give up a romantic attachment to a man like Kain- _sensei_?"

"Because I'm not interested in him that way, for one thing!" Erika insisted, red-faced, and she whirled away. "Besides," she continued more quietly, "it's far too dangerous now. Kain- _sensei_ isn't quite human now. I never had to drink his blood since his change, but now…if I did…there would probably be…side effects…."

Risa blinked. "Huh? I don't understand…."

"It's that demon thing," Riku explained. "What he was talking about the other night when he told us all about magic and made the contracts with you and the others. The bad guys in that magical war gave him a heart transplant, and they gave him an evil demon heart in place of his own in order to make him one of them or something. It doesn't make a lot of sense to me, either, because I still don't know a lot about magic, but apparently, it makes him 'evil' in some way, in his blood if nothing else. _Fukukaichô_ apparently had problems before drinking the blood of one of the bad guys when they had her captured."

Erika shuddered slightly at the memory and nodded. "That's pretty well explained, Riku- _san_ , thank you. So it was best just to cut those ties, before anything…anything happened. I'm glad you can enjoy your new contract and artifact. But I…can't afford that connection anymore."

"I suppose that makes sense," Risa said with a sigh. "Wow, I really feel sorry for you, Erika- _chan_. You and Kain- _sensei_ could have been a romantic pair from a novel, or a manga, oh! Maybe even a movie. The dashing, secret magic guardian vampire, and her mysterious heroic love…."

"Right, right," Erika replied, waving away the thought. "I'm heading out. I'll see you two tonight."

They watched her go. " _Fukukaichô_ 's been spending a lot of time away," murmured Riku. "I don't think anyone had it worse than her over there, considering her condition; not even the ones who became slaves. I really hope she'll be all right."

"Why shouldn't she be?" Risa asked. "She's Erika- _fukukaichô_ , right? The only girl in the class that can match her is Hina- _chan_ , right?"

Riku sighed again. She hated having to be the one to try to explain all of this, but she had been in Arcanus Myrror—the sheer amount of secrets she'd learned, about her class and the world and everything else, had been staggering. Someone had to get Risa up to speed, and that meant her dear sister was the only possible candidate. "It's her family. Apparently her… _mother_ , the vampire matriarch Sendô Kaya- _sama_ , built this school in the first place, and even though mages now mostly run the place, her family still is the head of the twelve families that take care of it. Apparently her mother is a real hardcore vampire who doesn't think much of humans, and she thinks that _Fukukaichô_ 's wasting her time being our classmate and trying to be our friend. She's been afraid of getting too close to everyone else, but they convinced her to go to Arcanus Myrror with them…and then she went through all of that. She's having trouble dealing with it all."

"I see, I see…." Risa turned to her sister triumphantly. "We've got to do something about it! We have to help Erika- _chan_!"

"W-what? W-well, that's a wonderful sentiment…but what can we do, exactly!? Go up to Sendô Kaya- _sama_ and tell her, 'Hey, be nice to your daughter!' or something!?"

"Hmm…yeah, maybe that wouldn't work…."

 _('That_ was _actually your plan!?')_

"But we have to do something!" Risa insisted. "Let's talk to Kain- _sensei_ about it!"

"Eh? Ah…all right…that's probably the best thing to do…." _('And it's a lot better than anything else she would come up with, so it's definitely best to humor her with that….')_

8-8-8

"So where's your friend Zelgadis gotten to?" Kain asked Lina as they passed through the halls.

"He managed to snag most of that Corai guy's notes from his laboratory before the Palace fell," Lina explained. "He took off to see if he could use them to find a way to change his body back to normal. I know that's what he wanted all along, but I actually think I'll be sad if he succeeds; old Stoneskin was kinda growing on me." Kain chuckled.

"We're here," Artoria announced. "The manor has no dungeon, but I'm sure you didn't want them really treated like prisoners in any case. They are…under house arrest, I guess you could say, here in this wing." She nodded to the two guards at the door, who opened it to allow the party entrance.

The wing consisted of a large hall with two floors of bedrooms running along the sides of its north, east, and south walls (with the door from the rest of the manor on the west wall). The hall was adorned with many tables, chairs, couches, and desks, and sure enough, most of Eminus' little band was lounging about in various parts of the room. They turned to stare as the party entered, and immediately their eyes rested on Kain…and Fyuria shot to her feet from the chair where she had been reading. "You! What are you doing here!?"

"Well, I know you don't like being reminded of the fact, but technically I'm your master now," Kain said easily. "I think I should be free to come see you anytime I like."

"That's not it! If you were able to come back from Earth already so easily, why didn't you bring Luana with you!? What have you done with her!?"

"Well, she certainly is incensed, to admit her fondness for Luana- _chan_ so easily," Winfield commented cheerfully, eliciting a deadly glare from the syrium girl. "I should tread carefully, Master Lockeheart, as her wrath is quite immense."

"Luana chose to slip through the portal after us," Kain replied with simplicity. "She felt that she preferred to get away from Arcanus Myrror for a while, so I've decided to honor that request. Don't worry; she's being treated quite well, and she's even going to be helping me with some things. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'd like to get on with my reason for being here; I'd like your help."

This brought Fyuria up short, and Ellis asked carefully, "Help? What do you mean?"

"Specifically, I need the assistance of Ellis, Faina, Yayoi, and Vira-Lorr. It is you four who were gifted with the four 'Pillars of the Undreamt World', correct?" He gazed around at the four named ladies.

They shared a glance between them. "Yes…and 'were gifted' is the key phrase there," Ellis pointed out. "With Eminus- _sama_ dead our contracts are void, and our artifacts are gone." She brought forth her card and held it up; it was different, now, from those that Kain was familiar with, having nothing but Ellis' picture in front of a rather plain background. "The Pillars of the Undreamt World, all four staves, are out of our reach. We can't help you there."

Kain nodded. "I'm well aware. That's where the other part comes in. Kamo, if you could summon the other one, please."

Kamo chuckled. "I get it. I'll give him a call. This will be interesting, for sure."

He made a swift pass across the ground, and a magic circle appeared in the area outlined by his run. Light and magical energy began to arise, and he turned towards the center as a small white globe of light arose from the circle, then burst in the air into a black ferret-like creature. "Now, then," Alvaris intoned. "Who dares summon…?" His words trailed off as he stared at Kamo. "You!?" he gasped in shock.

"Me," Kamo replied with some relish.

"Actually, me," Kain supplied.

Alvaris looked over and gaped at Kain. "You!?"

"Me," Kain repeated as Kamo leapt up onto his shoulder.

"You've got to be kidding me," Alvaris muttered. "What the hell do you two think you're doing? You may think this is some joke, but I have no desire to have anything to do with you. I'm out…."

"Hiiiyaaah!" Milleko crowed, hitting Alvaris with a flying tackle.

"W-what!? You…the menace, Milleko!?" Alvaris screeched while Milleko wrestled with him.

"Oh, it's been a long time, Alvy! Stay awhile and play with us! This is a great game we got going! You have to help!"

Alvaris suddenly transformed into his human form and picked up Milleko in anger. "You just back off, you stupid doll! I really don't want to play with you!"

Then suddenly Milleko grew to enormous size, ending up about eight feet tall and quickly outgrowing Alvaris' grip. Then she leaned down and scooped Alvaris up in her mouth, lifting him and leaving only the bottom of his legs and feet showing as they thrashed pitifully.

Kain sighed and snapped his fingers, and Alvaris came flying out of Milleko's mouth, back in his animal form; at the same time, Milleko was sent sailing in a spin, returning to her normal size and conveniently heading right to Ellis, who caught her.

Alvaris came to rest in front of Kain, floating in the air, and Kain turned a finger, causing the black ferret to rotate until they were face-to-muzzle. "Sorry about that one. I'll keep her away from you if you cooperate. I have important work to do, and I need your help."

Alvaris glowered quite well with his animal face. "What do you need my help for? You have that other rodent, don't you?"

"Yes…but you're the intermediary of the contracts that I need." He rotated Alvaris, and the spirit spotted Eminus' former minions for the first time.

"You guys…? Ah, so…naturally, Kain Lockeheart and his fellows won…and you all are his prisoners?" Several of the group exchanged glances and a few opened their mouths to speak, but none could offer any replies.

"I wouldn't say prisoners," Kain said. "Eminus specifically asked me to take responsibility for them. But anyway, I'm trying to sync Earth and Arcanus Myrror back together, and I need a powerful time/space magic related to this world. The best option within reach is to use the Pillars of the Undreamt World, so I need to restore the energy of the contracts of those four."

"Interesting," Alvaris said. "But they are hardly 'within reach', you know. With Eminus dead, the contract is null and void, expired…."

"I know. That's why I need your help. We can't reinstate them by bringing Eminus back, but using your influence over those contracts with some clever time and space magic from my cloak and Milleko, we can regain them for just a short time. The time magic will simulate a time when Eminus was alive and their master, allowing you to recall the contract power to them. That should work, right?"

Alvaris considered this. "Yes…it should…assuming I agree to help you. But is there any reason I should? I'm not your buddy; I was your enemy, and even if I was a neutral agent of that group who is now free with their demise, I certainly don't care anything for you…and especially not for _him_." He nodded his head viciously towards Kamolai.

"That's certainly true. But this is important," Kain replied. "These worlds are going to die, now; if you're belligerent or vindictive, you could perhaps simply let them die, but since you are a spirit of magic, I hope to appeal to your reasoning and the sentiments you possess, specifically the advancement of magic. I won't let anything like the Obsidian Star's Cosmo Entelecheia go through, but my plan to save these worlds will involve equalizing their magic, which will, in actuality, because of everything that's happening, have little effect on Arcanus Myrror itself but will make Earth a far more mana-rich world. So, you basically have two choices: you can refuse to help me in the hopes that everything dies, including these whom you were attached to, or you can save them and these worlds and help bring more mana to them. I'm hoping you choose well. If not…I really hate to have to do anything more, but I will save this world one or another, with your help or despite you. I really hope you won't risk disappointing me."

Alvaris stared up into those eyes; he saw far more meaning in them than even Kain's bandied words hid. Before he could speak, Yayoi suddenly came hurrying up. "Please, Alvaris- _san_! If…if you can really do this, would you, please? I know…they were our enemies…but now that it's over…we have no choice but to go on living. If that's the case, I want to try to make up for everything…to help Kain- _san_ save the worlds…I want to live a full life, a happy life, like Eminus- _sama_ wanted! Can you help us make it so?"

Alvaris glanced back at her, and he was already beginning to chuckle. "Well, I can feel your emotions…all of you feel just like Yayoi- _chan_ , eh? And you, Kain…well, maybe some of it is that darkness that now beats inside of you, but still…I actually find you intriguing. I suddenly do find myself interested in this magical world you will create. Very well, then. I'll help with this. Just put me down."

Kain released his telekinesis, and Alvaris fell to the floor. "Well, then…Yayoi, Ellis, Faina, and Vira-Lorr, gather around. Bring that marshmallow, and Kain, you stand here. You're using that cloak, right? So you stand there, I'll be here, and set that marshmallow down there, then you four stand in the circle like this…."

"It seems rather redundant," Kurt mentioned. "Using time and space magic to enable the use of time and space magic…."

"The kid's got the right idea," Alvaris informed him. "Magic always comes with a cost—from _ki_ , with the small cost already paid by the body, by its limitless training and effort. From smaller and larger spells, in mana, and more; and spells that alter reality always have the highest cost. In a small area, a moment, it doesn't cost much; but Time magic, _real_ Time magic, traveling backward or forward in time, has huge effects on reality, costs which are usually far too great for any mortal to pay. If mortals can't pay the price, they need aids to pay for them. Time magic could theoretically raise the dead, bringing in someone from out of time…but all the repercussions of that action have to be paid. So, this is a minor compromise—using Time magic to merely construct the illusion of a man's presence, and my magic can use that presence to reestablish the contract. Kain's cloak and the marshmallow Milleko can provide enough power to pay that price. But it's a far bigger deal to fix the time flow—with inadequate power, altering the fate of two worlds will bring a price that must be paid by the worlds themselves. The Pillars of the Undreamt World can create realities, alter time and space—and that reality will pay the price for us."

"That almost sounds unfair," Lina smirked. "Creating a new reality, already a powerful ability, to pay for more abilities?"

"Yes." Alvaris smirked as well, and there was a flash of energy, and the staves appeared in the hands of the four chosen ladies. "But artifacts _are_ artifacts because they work that way. Pay attention, now: this is where things get good. When we shattered all the Gateports in a single instant, there was no more physical link between the two worlds, and their rotations changed, their positions and orbits altered, and, by the reckoning of man, time moved in Arcanus Myrror at an accelerated rate. Where before the dates and seasons across the worlds were equal, by this time Arcanus Myrror had moved ahead a season. It's a minor thing, but for Kain's purposes, it will be best if the transition between worlds is once again seamless. So how do we re-adjust them? Accelerate Earth's time, or decelerate Arcanus Myrror, which are the same thing? Perhaps, but a bit tricky; to get it right, you'd have to monitor the time, which is even more difficult with the time cut off. So, we're using the Undreamt World to essentially seal away Arcanus Myrror until the same date on Earth has arrived. When that time comes, the connection between the Gates can be reestablished—the condition for ending this stasis spell, in fact." He turned to Kain. "Will that do, O Archmage?"

Kain smiled. "It should, yes." The girls were chanting together. They raised their staves and a glow erupted between them, then spread out and kept going, quickly disappearing through the walls. "You all caught on very quickly."

Ellis sighed as the light faded and they lowered their magic staves; a moment later, the tools all faded from sight. "We knew about the effects that our work had on the world, and we prepared for several contingencies," she explained. "Some of us even worked with part of your group to deal with a threat that was seeping in from one of other worlds. We already had this concept."

"Marvelous," Jynx noted. "You really are taking this seriously, aren't you?"

Kain turned back with a smile. "Of course. Right now…there's nothing more important than this. And now that it's done, I'm sorry, but I should be heading back." He focused on Artoria and Kurt. "I know that the nations have probably already been hard at work in repairing their Gates; I also know it's still a lot to ask, but do you think you can have the Gates ready to reactivate by tomorrow?"

Kurt chuckled. "Ah, you do still impress, Kain- _kun_ …and you are surprisingly ambitious. For a child, your rationale and conclusions are quite remarkable. How I wish I could have you working for me…but it appears that I, on the contrary, must be at your beck and call. Very well, Halteese will be ready."

"We will swiftly pass word along to the other nations as well," Artoria agreed. "But what happens if we can't prepare them in time?"

"As long as one is ready, I can establish the link there," Kain replied easily. "The more we have ready at once, the better for everyone—it means reestablished contact, for one thing, and it will help with the proper connection and flow of mana between worlds if more are established. My plan is to use Sendai as the base, as it's close enough and well-used enough to be a main portal, so Grandall will be the priority. So, with that..."

"You're taking off," Lina snorted with a smile. "Well, you spent 3 extra months in Arcanus Myrror, you spent nearly a year in that Mashiro's special world-orb, and now you're going to relive three more months on Earth without us…you're in a hurry to grow up fast, aren't you?" Then she suddenly sighed. "No, that was a joke, but there's truth in there; you've always been trying to grow up too fast."

"And now I wish that I could get my youth and easy life back." Kain smiled rather bitterly. "Now…I wouldn't mind if the halcyon days lasted forever. But there's too much to do. Look where it's gotten me…in any case, I should go. Milleko?"

"Right! Hold on to your hats, horses, handrails, and whatever else!"

A new flash of light, and he was gone.

8-8-8

Chisame sat at her computer, still dressed in her pajamas, tapping at her keyboard occasionally, just scrolling through things. "Well…we made it back fine…thanks to my artifact, I was able to get all sorts of good pics of Chibi Chiu- _chan_ and others…and since it was only a short time in this world, I didn't lose much ground at all. Chiu- _sama_ is still on top of the digital world…."

She browsed other pages. "The school is in an uproar over the suddenness and intensity of the 'End of Summer Event,' but naturally the idiots all loved it, regardless of what they say…still no word from Arcanus Myrror, no connection to them. And so…well, what's wrong with that? Now that I'm back here, safe, in this world, I can leave all that crazy stupid crap behind. Chiu- _sama_ 's place needs its tender loving care, and the shop needs its maintenance, too…the simple _hikkikomori_ [recluse] life I've longed to return to is once again mine…."

She trailed off of her rant, her mind wandering. It wandered….

 _"But on the inside, aren't you actually rather satisfied with this life you have right now?"_

"No!" Chisame shouted, trying to dispel the words of Ryoko Asakura. "No way! It's got nothin' more to do with me! _This_ is my life! _This_ is what I really wanted! That kid still wants to 'save the world' from whatever this crisis is!? He can go jump! Slave away at it! Get himself killed or whatever! It's not my problem anymore…."

And then the shimmering hole opened in the ceiling behind her and spat out Kain and Kamo.

Luckily, the hole to magical space closed immediately, leaving no further mark on the material world, but the sudden arrival of her _sensei_ and his familiar naturally set her off. "H-holy…! W-what the hell!? What are you guys doing here!?"

"Chisame?" Kain rose and dusted himself off, quickly taking in the scene. "Chisame's apartment? Where's Milleko? Why'd she bring us back here?"

"She knows she's done with her part," Kamo muttered, alighting back onto Kain's shoulder. "As to why she dropped us here, your guess is as good as mine; with her, it's as likely to be an accident as intentional. She had some obscure or random thought and really didn't realize what she was doing, probably."

"Okay. Well, we should…."

A flying pillow hit him in the face.

"I-idiot!" Chisame screeched. "D-don't go invading a maiden's home like that, especially using magic! I'm not even dressed here!"

Kamo laughed. "Kain's seen you in a far more embarrassing position and far more undressed than that, _Ojô-chan_. You can't blame him for not being more aware of 'you' when that's the case…."

"Very tactful, Kamo," Kain remarked dryly, using the cushion to hide his face.

"F-far more…!? Kain- _sensei_ , you didn't tell _that_ , did you!?"

"He didn't have to," Kamo smirked. "In any case, if you're put out by your position, just get dressed already. Use the card, if you're really bothered by it all."

Chisame made an unintelligible shout, but she did as Kamo suggested, grabbing up her card and changing herself…into her Rouland Rouge outfit once again. "There! I'm decent. Now would you like to explain what you were doing that led you to breaking into my home in the first place!?"

Kain lowered the pillow and glanced her way, smiled slightly at her choice of outfit, but obligingly said, "We just came back from Arcanus Myrror; I was starting to put my plan into motion to stabilize the reality between the worlds."

"Arcanus Myrror…but I thought that we were pretty much cut off from it."

"I know. And now even more so. That's why I had to have help to even get there…you remember Milleko, the weird stuffed animal that helped us escape Sakura's alternate future? That's who we had to call on. She returned us to the present when we finished, but by joke or simple negligence, she ended up dropping me here. Sorry to impose on you; we'll be taking our leave now."

Chisame only hesitated a moment, almost an imperceptible blink of time. "Hold it. You said 'finished'; what did you just finish doing? Are both worlds already saved or something? You haven't really explained anything about your plan, except that it's going to ruin my world by making magic a damn common commodity over here…."

Kain laughed and shook his head. "No…it's just started. Before I can do anything else to either of them, I needed to bring them back in sync. Before, the dates of Arcanus Myrror and Earth were exactly the same; the years could change according to the calendar reckoning of the individual nation, as few of them use Christ's birth as their chronological landmark, but when summer starts here, it starts in Arcanus Myrror. When it's Christmas Day here, it's Christmas Day over there. Or it was like that, before this whole fiasco put them out of sync. While that conveniently kept us from missing valuable and important time here at this school and in our normal lives, it has compounded the problem that the Obsidian Star caused in the first place. So I had to arrange for Arcanus Myrror's time to be frozen until we've, ah, caught up to it, I guess you could say."

Chisame stared. "That sounds…pretty complicated. No, I don't want to know anything more about that. Instead, just tell me—now that you've finished that, what's your next step? Or are you really planning on doing everything on your own?"

Kain considered her carefully. Kamo laughed. "That almost sounded like you want to volunteer your help, Chiucchi…."

"W-what? No! I-I mean…I don't want to have anything to do with the magical world or anything like it for some time! No, I mean, ever! But…I know that this is a big, serious deal, and after everything we've gone through, I feel like crap thinking that I can't do anything but sit around moping. There! Your hard work has given me, of all people, a guilt complex! Are you happy now? Are you going to take any responsibility for my emotional scars?"

Kain smiled despite her random, incoherent rant. "What do you want me to do to make up for it, Chisame?"

"Eh?" Kain's quiet acceptance of her rant threw her off her rhythm quite successfully. "W-well…just, don't make me feel guilty anymore. Tell me what's happening, and what I can do to help. Besides, I hardly want this world blowing up on me before I've enjoyed a good long life, you know?"

"Well." Kain sighed. "Right now…there's not much that can be done. Nothing, really, until after Christmas, when the worlds realign. Then…we have to get into the core of the worlds, so that they can be 'programmed' to spread their magic around. It's complicated…I'm not sure how you can help. I'm not sure how anyone can help. But I appreciate the offer, and I'll keep you in mind; if there's anything you can do for it, I'll let you know."

Chisame stared at him. She started to blush, but turned her head away and snapped out, "Fine, be that way! If you're not going to tell me anything useful, then just get out!"

Kain nodded and gave her a slight bow, and then started to turn, but paused. "Oh…there is one thing you can do for me," he said finally. "I'm afraid that Miki will…probably enjoy her new artifact here too much. She's probably already started. Do you think you can try to use yours to…limit any illegal voyeurism?"

Chisame considered this. "Well, I've never tried that sort of thing…but I don't see why I couldn't hack into her artifact with my own, since it's also machine-based. I've already hooked it up to Yue- _chan_ 's to take advantage of her Mahônet connection. Fine. I'll see what I can do about that."

Kain nodded, thanked her, and finally started for the door.

"Wait," she demanded suddenly, and he turned back to her expectantly. "One more thing. What…is Tokiha going to have to do with this?"

Kain's stare was blank and unreadable. "You heard my father. Mai can't do anything about it right now."

"Ah, yeah, that's the other thing that bothered me. Your father…he didn't want Tokiha sitting in that throne doing the job because he was afraid she'd stop being, well, Tokiha if she did…so he sacrificed himself instead. Are you really okay with that? After all that, after everything, we found him, found out about him and your mother, too, saved him from the Obsidian Prince…but we never did get your mother back, and your father's gone for good on top of it all. And you're still just throwing yourself into your big 'save the world' project without any other thought? Are you _sure_ you're all right?"

Kain continued his stare. Then his smile, sad and wistful, returned. "All right…what can I do? If I sit around and mope, nothing will be accomplished. We won't get any closer to saving this world; it will make my father's sacrifice for nothing. Besides…I will see him again. When, and how…maybe we don't know yet. But I will see him. He's not gone 'for good'." He bowed, and then turned and exited the apartment.

Chisame stared after him. "Idiot," she muttered. "You're still hiding quite a bit; there's more to this than that. What is the terrible secret here?"

8-8-8

Kain disappeared after that. His students went about their various businesses and activities of the day, but that evening, per a special request from Alyssa, they all gathered in her villa.

"I was just thinking," she explained after everyone had arrived, "now that we're all co-conspirators in this little magic secret, we ought to strengthen our class bonds and such. So I'm giving you all complete run of my little prize here for the next twenty-four hours. No training, no big long meetings about magic or the destinies of the world, just all of us having fun. How does that sound?"

"Quite honestly, it sounds suspicious," Mai commented. "No offense, Alyssa, but we all know that you're a demon by now; you have no interest in 'getting along with us', or 'participating in fulfilling school lives' or any of the rest of this nonsense you've been talking about. You only do things like this if you have some ulterior motive."

"Oh, dear Mai, you wound me!" Alyssa said, looking hurt. "Isn't that just a little prejudiced? I am part of the class, too, and things have been interesting enough lately that I think we can appreciate it together…."

"Well, regardless of her motives, she brought us all here and as of now we're stuck," Momo pointed out, trying to console her roommate. "So let's go ahead and give her the benefit of the doubt so that we can enjoy our stay; it's much more pleasant than being constantly on edge about it."

"Thank you, Momo- _chan_ ," Alyssa said with a slight teasing smile, bowing to her.

"Well, we don't need any more incentive," Riza suddenly burst out, breaking into the conversation. "Let's start the party already!"

"Let's go!" Izumi enthused.

And so, with various emotions—as usually, some like Chisame and Yue were more reserved and reluctant, but most of the others dived right in with enthusiasm—the girls ended up at Alyssa's massive swimming pool, where they all ended up in swimsuits and split off into their usual activities and groups.

"This is so great!" Kaoru enthused. "You guys have been enjoying a place like this pretty much the whole year, haven't you? It's kinda unfair! It's so nice of Alyssa- _chan_ to let us all in on it now…."

"It hasn't been that great," replied Mai, lounging poolside on a pool chair. "We haven't just been playing around…we were putting serious effort in to try and train…sometimes, it could be a literal hell…."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever, it's still just too much! You know, the only way this could be better is if Kain- _sensei_ could spend the time with us…."

"Ah, you should be careful with wishes like that, Kaoru- _chan_ ," Alyssa warned her with a giggle and a poorly-hid, wicked smile. "That's the whole reason I brought only you girls here, after all. I guess I really should warn you all."

Alyssa's mysterious declaration attracted their attention, and in an instant the entire class was drawing closer to her, listening more intently. "What are you talking about?" Riku demanded. "Warn us about _what_?"

"Why, about Kain- _sensei_ , of course."

Silence greeted this comment. "Kain- _sensei_?" Erika queried. "But…."

"Lest you've forgotten or just don't get it, Kain- _sensei_ is a demon now. He's just like me, an Infernal, a _mazoku_ , a creature from a plane of negative energy that runs parallel to you mortals' world. Infernals are immortal, and survive and thrive by feeding on negative emotions. Wrath, pride, sloth…things like the Seven Deadly Sins are banquets to us. We are drawn to those emotions, we take energy from them, and so we embrace and encourage them in humans."

"K-Kain- _sensei_ isn't like that!" Hinagiku insisted. "Even now, he…."

"Even now, he is still partially human," Alyssa admitted, still smiling. "Well, even mostly human. But that demonic influence is very strong, and he's fighting hard not to embrace it. So far, he's done admirably in controlling himself. But the temptations and the instincts remain, and will only get worse. All we can do is hope that he stays in control."

"In control of what?" Kagome demanded. "What are you suggesting Kain- _sensei_ would do?"

"Well, that depends on his demonic inclination," Alyssa replied. "There's no official term for it, but just as you humans have particular tastes in food, some Infernals benefit more from certain kinds of sins, prefer them, are better at inducing them. Take me, for example. My sin is Envy. I revel in the jealousy humans display towards those who are different, who have something they don't, who aren't perfect the way they think they are.

"It's the reason I became Alyssa Searrs, head of the Searrs Foundation. As a rich, beautiful, blonde mogul, I incited envy from men who thought a woman shouldn't possess such power; from men who wanted such a woman; from women who wished they could be as perfect as I; from the poor in general who resent the wealthy and privileged; and from the rich that desired fortunes equal to what I had amassed. Ah, yes, and to top it all off, a singing voice many would kill or die for…."

"Are you sure it's working?" Miki smirked. "I don't know of too many people who are envious of little primary schoolers…."

Alyssa glared at Miki. "Don't toy with me. This form only came about because of that boy's father. I became interested in him, and assumed this form so that I could interact with him more easily. Even so, I retained beauty, voice, and wealth, and took particular delight in harassing his friend, Jynx. Oh, he is admittedly brilliant for a human—don't you _ever_ tell him I've admitted to this, but he is a truly skilled and intelligent mage; he graduated the magic university himself at the tender age of thirteen, after all. But even a brilliant 13-year-old couldn't match my genius, or Kalan's. Despite his good nature, there is a bit of envy always lurking in his heart because of Kalan, because of the boy who made his accomplishments and development practically null and void despite his efforts. And then I came along and pulled lots of envy out of him; by moving in and taking his friend, showing intelligence and wisdom as great as Kain's. They were good times…." She sighed happily.

Then she shook herself awake and returned to her original topic. "So, Envy is my domain, as I explained. But what is Kain's? Which of the seven is he most prone to exploiting? In his case, as he is originally a human, it would be whatever most dogged him as a mortal…."

"I'm not sure I buy into this," Chisame muttered from her own poolside seat. "Sure, when Kain- _sensei_ first appeared after his…operation, he was an uncontrollable beast, but it didn't take him long to wake up, and when he did, he was pretty much normal. And sure, he's a little different now…harder, perhaps, not as naïve or innocent…but driven to 'feed on sin', or whatever? What proof do you have?"

Alyssa turned her knowing smile Chisame's way. "Well, I admittedly have no 'proof' other than my own existence; I understand demons, as they are my kind. I can sense and feel the conflicts in Kain- _sensei_ now, when I concentrate on it. But I'm trying to warn you all so that, at least, you can't say you never saw it coming."

"Theoretically, it could be true," Yue remarked. "The same dark energy that drove him mad under the influence of the Obsidian Star could still…affect him, although I would say the odds of him succumbing right now are quite low. Besides, you talk about the 'seven deadly sins', but I don't see that Kain- _sensei_ has been particularly affected by them…."

"Well…shall we consider them? My own domain of Envy…he certainly has no connection there. He has always been a genius, perfect human specimen all his life; what is there for him to Envy? Any chance of even envying others their proper home lives or other things he missed out on is swallowed up in his one-track desire to find his father, and his devotion to that man's legacy. No, he envies no man or woman, not a single thing.

"Wrath? Untenable. He had countless opportunities for personal revenge shoved in his face, forced upon him, and he refused them all. His ability to control his temper is almost depressing. Sloth, Gluttony, Greed? Kain is a man obsessed with his goals and desires, burying any Sloth he might ever feel, and Gluttony is likewise something he simply doesn't pay enough attention to. Greed…could be considered to a degree, if you expand its definition to include any strong desires, any obsessions, not just monetary wealth. But although Kain has an obsession as strong as anyone's, it doesn't lend itself to the idea of Greed…and even in that case, he has already sacrificed his chance to achieve it at any cost.

"Pride? That's a little closer to the core, perhaps, something that lurks in his heart as it does nearly all humans, but that lurking is buried underneath his personal fears and wide-eyed assumptions about humanity. At his core, as incredible as he is, the most incredible thing of all is that he somehow believes that he is the least of those around him, that everyone else should be capable of everything he himself does.

"Which leaves us only one left—Lust."

"And like Yuecchi said, that suggests that Kain- _sensei_ doesn't embody any of those seven sins strongly enough," Kiami commented with her mysterious smile. "You can't suggest that the last remaining one, Lust, is his sin. That's the most impossible idea of all. Surrounded by beauties, with many of them throwing themselves at him…he seems the poster boy for a man dedicated to avoiding the sins and temptations of the flesh. A man who won't really look at us, approach us, is a man now become a demon of Lust…?"

"Kain- _sensei_ doesn't even have any dirty books or magazines!" Kanade declared, then added proudly, "I checked, you know!"

"Yes, yes, as impossible as it seems to you all, I believe it is his nature." Alyssa smiled widely. "He has indeed done very well so far in resisting it, because the opportunity hasn't arisen for more than thought—and Lust, more than any of the sins, even Envy, is easy and dangerous to nurture in thought. After all, he had no experience with females at all until he came here, and so he lacked any ability to pursue it. Since his arrival, he has been, as you said, surrounded by the temptation, so much so that he can't even make a choice between all that's available. Who knows what he really thinks? But he's closer to that than you think he is; and, as a demon, if the temptation continues, it could overwhelm his human morality and sensibilities. It would do for all of you to beware."

The girls stared at her, most of them giving serious thought or calculation to her implications….

Mai sighed. "Give me a break," she said almost sternly, glaring at Alyssa. "Don't make Kain's job any harder than it already is."

Alyssa simply shrugged and turned away. "I've given my warning. Don't blame me for what happens later."

 _('No,')_ Mai thought, not dropping her glare, _('I'm sure I will_. _')_

F I N

 _Author's Note: Projects Underway._

 _So, Kain has started his work to save the worlds, although for now it's on hold. Although, for chronological ease and for keeping it like the original, I had the two worlds in the same time-split situation, it just…I don't like having the worlds out of sync like that. If they're similar enough to have similar seasons and such, then they need to have them! So Kain fixes it for me, in preparation for saving the world._

 _In the original, Magicus Mundus was a practically illusionary magical world written over the surface of Mars, and so Negi had to create a project that would help preserve it, and eventually bring it into contact with normal Earth. I've already gone into a lot of detail about how Arcanus Myrror works, but I need this same project going on, hence the breakdown caused by the Obsidian Star, and the need to fix it. Syncing the worlds makes sense from that perspective, too, and the need to spread magic to Earth is similar to how Negi was playing things out to prevent the magic world's destruction and ties in to things like Sakura's mysterious plot._

 _Well, it's on hold for now, probably until (partly) the end of this Act and then (mostly) Act 19. In the meantime, Kain has to return to dealing with his class' hijinks, and it starts with Alyssa planting a devilish seed in preparation for the next part. I'll go more into detail about it next time, but it is a stupid crazy pointless final Negi arc that I'm implementing anyway because…why not? I just feel the need at this point. So I'll explain more about this when it comes up in later chapters._

 _So, let's go on…the class has to prep for another Festival…._


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: This is a nonprofit fictional story, a FanFiction based on Ken Akamatsu's Negima. I do not own Negima, or most of the other characters included in this work, excepting where it is stated in the author's notes. It is not intended or presented for any commercial profit or personal gain; it is simply a story written for personal fulfillment and presented for public enjoyment, and as an honest homage to the fine story conceived and written by Ken Akamatsu, as well as all the other (innumerable) works that find place herein (and their authors).

Chapter Three: The Fall Festival ~Refined Chaos~

The Fall Festival, was, of course, one of the six Traditional Events of Mahora Academy. It was part harvest celebration, end of summer celebration, athletic festival and cultural demonstration.

"It was designed to be the Festival that showed the varied programs of Mahora Academy—what it taught and did for the community," lecture-mode Yue explained to Kain. "It runs for a week at the end of October, and there is a different focus each day. On Monday is a mid-term testing, with the usual publicly announced scores to encourage the classes to study properly. Tuesday is a proper festival day, with the each class attempting some sort of business, from haunted houses to food stalls to even selling works of art or _dôjinshi_ if that's the focus of that particular class. Wednesday is the athletic meet, with completely nontraditional events; the most 'traditional' in the normal sense is the Ultimahora tournament, the premier martial arts competition at this school."

"Yes, I remember hearing about that," Kain commented. "Akari won it last year, didn't she?"

"Er, yes…and the year before that, too, against Tsukino- _san_. Anyway, Thursday is Performance Day, with each class performing some sort of play, sometimes, depending on the class, veering into musicals or even operas if they have a multitude of musical talent amongst them. And Friday is the true festival day, when the students finally get to rest from running things and participate in the local community's contributions—stalls, games, demonstrations, et cetera.

"The theme of the festival is competitive throughout; scores from testing are compiled, net profit is calculated, athletic events garner points, the performances are judged and scored, and the prizes won on the last day are also given values, so that a final tally for all the classes can be determined and they can be ranked by age group, gender, school, and overall."

"So it's entirely class-based this time, not club-based?"

"For the most part," Ami put in. "But there are some events that are optional to run as a club instead, and those clubs that score well are measured against other clubs to gain ranking, and those rankings help determine how club funds are distributed in the coming year."

"Seems a rather arbitrary way to decide something like funding," Kain noted. "But it's Mahora through and through…so, I guess the first order of business is to determine what our class is going to do for their Tuesday stall, yes?"

It was afternoon Monday, October 15th, two weeks before the start of this upcoming festival, and Kain was in the company of the Library Exploration Club members so that they could give him the rundown on the event—on request from the principal, who seemed not to want to have to explain it himself. Of course, it was a job that Nodoka, Yue, and Ami rather enjoyed doing—although two of them were naturally quite nervous in the close presence of their _sensei_ , and even the time spent in Arcanus Myrror hadn't fixed that.

"Yes…it's not that easy to do," Nodoka admitted. "Everyone…is always very fired up about the competition. Everyone wants to win. And everyone is trying to make money…it's tough because, you need to make something that will sell, but if it's too unique or unusual, no one will want to buy it…."

"We could always sell kisses from Kain- _sensei_ ," Miki noted, appearance from thin air #1. "We would have all the middle-school age and probably high-school age girls lining up to spend their money at our stall."

"That's hardly funny," Kain replied without batting an eye.

"Or we could sell opportunities to arm-wrestle Kain- _sensei_ ," Riza offered, appearance from thin air #2. "We offer the collected pot as winnings to anyone that could win, and all the local tough guys would try their hand."

"That's gambling, which is bad, and hustling, which is worse, either of which would almost certainly be grounds for instant disqualification if I'm not off the mark," Kain muttered.

"Or we could sell some things of Kain- _sensei_ 's!" Izumi chortled, appearance from thin air #3. "Pencils, pens, erasers, socks…."

"And that's…I don't even know how to respond to that," Kain sighed. "Seriously, you three…."

"Those are all great ideas that would almost certainly win us Day 2," Miki protested.

"How can you be so sure of that?"

"Don't you even realize your own popularity, Kain- _sensei_?" Riza scoffed. "During the summer you were absent everywhere, so you didn't get to see it much, but you became super-popular after the Mahora Festival. You were running from reporters and martial arts enthusiasts for a while, but even after it died down, your popularity didn't, really. The summer distracted everyone. Now…."

"Now, everyone's paying more attention to you!" Izumi agreed. "Just look!"

They all turned as two younger middle school students, probably second-years, cautiously approached them. They glanced fearfully at their _sempai_ surrounding Kain, but bravely thrust forward the envelopes they had in their hands—hand-written love letters, obviously. "K-Kain- _sensei_!" declared the foremost, a girl with blond hair styled into two drill-shaped pigtails. "P-please accept our…."

"I can't," Kain said automatically, raising a hand to forestall her. "I'm sorry, I truly am…but I can't accept your letters. There are a great many reasons why I can't. I appreciate your sentiments, really I do…but I can't accept them. Please forgive me." And he bowed very deeply.

Disappointed but seemingly not very surprised, the two girls took their leave and went away. Kain finally rose from his bow and stared after them. His students stood silently, watching his still, neutral face.

"So, the lady-killer is up to his old tricks," chuckled Nanami, appearing suddenly to break the calm. "Well, we're discussing the festival, right? Our businesses? Naturally, beautiful entrepreneur master Jinnai Nanami- _sama_ can help with this situation!"

"Ah, beautiful…?" Riza began.

"Don't start, you! So, what are we thinking about?" Nanami glanced around at the group, a calculating expression on her face.

"Kisses from Kain- _sensei_ ," Miki replied.

"Or buy-in arm wrestling competition," Riza answered.

"Or Kain- _sensei_ souvenirs!" Izumi added.

As Kain glared at the trio again, Nanami responded, "Not bad, not bad…it's true, right now our young teacher is a hot commodity. Any kind of Kain- _sensei_ service would win us Day 2 easily. Photos with Kain- _sensei_ , autographs from Kain- _sensei_ , autographed photos with Kain- _sensei_ , fake Kain- _sensei_ contract cards…."

"Do you _have_ to use me in your business?" Kain sighed again. "Is this what your teacher has become, nothing more than a marketing ploy?"

"Well, no, not _just_ a marketing device…not to most of the class, anyway," Nanami smirked.

"Well, if we can't use Kain- _sensei_ , there's always our class' sex appeal," Miki provided. "Maid café, mud wrestling competition, cosplay tea shop, swimsuit or underwear picture shop…."

"Can you try not to come up with ideas that will get us _arrested_?"

"But the truth is, using our artifacts, we could do all sorts of things," Nanami mused. "Okay, so using Miki- _chan_ 's to discover and sell secrets is out, but Izumi- _chan_ could use hers to make any kind of doll become animate, and we could, I don't know, have them dance for their owners or something; some people would pay good money for that. I wonder how much people would pay for a ride in the _El-Hazard_? Honya could use hers to do magic tricks, 'What am I thinking', and the like. Hmm…."

"Perhaps something more normal," Kain sighed. "Can't we just, I don't know, do something like the cosplay restaurant you did for the Mahora Festival?"

"Nah, that's too boring!" Kanade declared, suddenly making her presence known. "We can't do it, _because_ we just did it for the summer festival! We have to do something unique, something awesome, something that will knock all their socks off!"

Kain stared at her. This was starting to become a real headache; he sighed for what must have been the umpteenth time that day. "Really, I'm about done. I'd just wash my hands of it and let you do as you please if I wasn't afraid of what the result would be. Seriously, now…." He turned to the original trio, who had been relegated to silence and background with the arrival of the enthusiastic troublemakers. "What do you three think? What did you guys do for it last year?"

They exchanged a glance. "Nothing, technically," Yue put in.

"They were…at the last minute, Hinagiku- _san_ disqualified us," Nodoka explained. "It was the same the year before that…."

"We had innocent enough ideas, but Kanade- _san_ and a few others tried to twist them and add, shall we say, inappropriate 'special prizes' and that last minute," Ami continued.

"Ah, so that's the bar we're shooting for? Just get our booth through the morality control censors? Somehow, this class still manages to surprise me." He swept his gaze around the whole group. "We'll talk about this in class tomorrow, first thing. I didn't want to butt in on this—even if I'm your homeroom teacher and you're my only class, it's _your_ competition, not mine—but I can tell I need to have a strong hand in this, since I care about all of you. We'll work some kind of compromise that we can _all_ live with. And if any of you try to add any unapproved, undiscussed 'special prizes' or the like…you'll have to deal with _me_." He smiled almost evilly at the Baka Trio. "Don't think I'll let you off easy because I'm a spineless little boy. You'll regret it…possibly for the rest of your lives…."

The trio shrank back before that face, and Kain let it pass quickly as he started to walk again, motioning for the original trio to follow after him. "Now, I'll help with that, the tests are of course just part of our normal schoolwork, but how about the athletic portion, Day 3? I trust we don't usually have to worry much about that?"

"T-that's right…our Bakas are horrible academically and such, but no one can match us in physical sports…."

"Fine, then we don't have to worry about that. So, it's just the performance for Day 4…I guess we'll have to see what the class wants to do for that…you didn't get disqualified for that, too, did you?"

"N-no…they usually aren't too much trouble…."

The five interlopers watched them go. "He can get scary, sometimes," Izumi noted. "That's…different about him…."

"Do you think it's true, what Alyssa said about him?" Nanami demanded. "I really wonder…he tries to act the same, but deep down, he's definitely changed…he's harder, if he has to be…."

"Yes, what Alyssa- _chan_ said was very interesting," Miki murmured. "We should test that theory…why don't you try seducing him, Izumi? Now that your love is Kain- _sensei_ , and not Kalan- _san_ …."

"M-Miki, I can't do that! And it isn't like that, anyway! I-I've given up on…n-no, I mean, I loved Kalan- _san_ , and Kain- _sensei_ is not the one I loved! It's over!"

"C'mon now, don't let that stop you…."

8-8-8

"Okay," Kain announced, finishing his scribbling on the chalkboard, "we have finally reached a decision, with thirteen votes, to run a haunted house. I assume we're all willing to accept this decision?"

There was a loud and usually enthusiastic 'Yes!' from the class. "It's definitely got some potential," Nanami remarked. "Among other things, we can probably use some magic to make it more incredible, right?"

This started another excited babble amongst the class, but Hinagiku cut in, "W-wait a minute…I'm not sure that it's proper to go using magic for such a thing…."

"Actually, I was kind of hoping for it," Kain replied. "I did consider the problems with showing magic to a class like this, and this is one of them—an energetic class like this is going to want to use, or at least _see_ some magic in action. Nanami's right—a few spells sprinkled into a haunted house experience can make it more authentic and exciting without being too noticeable or causing problems. As long as I supervise it, of course. Now we can start planning that…but first we have another major decision to make, right? What are we going to do for the performance?"

"Ah, that's obvious, isn't it?" Miki said smugly. "We'll have Yukari- _chan_ play, and Rakasu- _chan_ and Alyssa- _chan_ sing for us in a gigantic concert. We won't be beaten!"

"W-wait a minute, why me!?" Yukari demanded. "I-I mean, I'm not…."

"You were marvelous at the Mahora Festival," Miki replied. "And I do know that you have been practicing quite a bit of the guitar and even singing in your personal time…you really seemed to enjoy it. I even have video evidence…."

"W-wait a minute, I said! W-what are you talking about!? I-I don't…."

Miki ignored Yukari, manifesting one of her SpyBots and having it load her desired image…but it simply beamed a screen of static. "What? It happened again…hmm…all my files seem to have disappeared…now, how did that happen? It makes no sense for an artifact to be defective in such a way…."

"If you're using your artifact for nefarious purposes, you should be grateful that the worst that's happened is the disappearance of your files," Kain told her, glaring at her sternly. "As your master, I advise you against any more illegal voyeurism…or else I might have to start investigating."

"W-what? B-but…."

"As your contracted master, I'm at least partially responsible for any wrongs you commit, and I'm not willing to take the fall for you. I'll annul that contract first. Just warning you. Now, moving on…while we certainly have some talented musicians in the class, I don't think it's appropriate to put the fortunes of the entire class on the shoulders of three frail ladies; we need something the whole class can contribute to."

Riza sighed. "Well, in that case, there's naturally only one thing we can do: a play!"

"Yeah, we're really not artistically talented enough for anything else," agreed Izumi.

"Some classes are actually mostly musical, so they can get away with it," Yue commented.

"Or others are all members of the Art Club, so they just exhibit those for both Day 2 and Day 4," Kagome added.

"But, plays are about all we can manage," Risa sighed. "Since we're an all-girls class, we can't even do anything interesting, like have reverse-gender roles…." She suddenly perked up and smiled her 'planning something' smile. "Say, Kain- _sensei_ , I don't suppose you could talk to the principal about letting us team up to produce a play with one of the boys' classes…? I'm sure they couldn't say no to you…."

"Maybe not, but I'm saying no now," Kain replied immediately. "I won't be party to that; say whatever you like. The reality, though, is that it seems we'll have to do a reverse-Shakespeare, since this is an all-girl's class."

"Oh, hey!" Kaoru suddenly insisted brightly. "You should be able to help us out, right, Kain- _sensei_? Maybe we could at least have Kain- _sensei_ be the heroic prince in the play…."

This suggestion brought the class into an intensely thoughtful silence. Kain, however, again nixed the idea with a shake of his head. "Sorry, but I think it's best for everyone, and better for my health, if that idea stays tabled, too. No, but this will be your own endeavor. I'm merely here to oversee it and drop hints, nothing more. So, if you feel a play is all you can do, let's take a vote on what play we should do. I'll take suggestions now…."

"Oh, no, we have to do this!" Kanade suddenly insisted, thrusting a sheaf of papers into the air. "This is a fairy tale play I've written myself, just for an occasion like this! A wonderful story of talking animals, beautiful princesses, and dashing princes! It'll be a smash!"

"Really?" Kain raised an eyebrow. "That sounds…quite interesting. Are you sure the class wouldn't rather do something a bit more, well, mainstream…?"

"Actually, I kinda like the idea of doing something crazy from Kanade's head," Nanami replied. "If we want to stand out, the usual fairy tales won't do, because they're boring and well-known. And I wouldn't want to do any of the more obscure, local fairy tales, like, say, 'Ice and Snow', because we'd probably suddenly get caught up in some sort of magical problem with the way the class has been going recently. No, I think that a crazy idea directly from this class is the only thing we can be trusted with…don't you think?"

A few other voices raised themselves in support of Nanami's general assessment. Kain laughed and held up his hands. "Fine, fine. We'll go ahead and vote on that. All in favor of giving Kanade's handcrafted masterpiece a try?"

Nineteen hands came up—"And without even hearing anything, really, about it," Kain noted. "I suppose that motion passes. Okay…so, explain the general idea of the play to us, so we can decide on parts. Then we'll have to trust you with the script and such…."

"Ah, this story stars the Princess Escargot Pudding! And, of course, she has to be played by my beloved little sister, Hina- _chan_ …."

 _('Escargot Pudding!?')_ most of the class thought in shock.

"No, wait, before that," Kain sighed, "I know you love your sister, Kanade, but she's not in our class. She can't participate. I'm sorry, those are the rules."

"What? Oh, all right…I was hoping you would forget about that, but it can't be helped. We'll just have to have the person in the class get injured the day of the play so Hina- _chan_ has to fill in for her…."

 _('What's with that dark wishing!?')_ the class thought. _('Is your little sister complex so strong you have to wish misfortune on others!?')_

"Anyway, it seems we have a princess, Escargot Pudding," Kain announced, turning to the board and trying not to snicker. "So, what other characters do we need to fill out?"

"Let's see…there's a prince, Lancaster Sandapple, a King (Escargot's father), a wicked Stepmother, a mysterious little girl, various guards and other people associated with the kingdom…that's most of the characters."

 _('Lancaster Sandapple!?')_

"All right." Kain listed the names on the board. "Let's go ahead and decide who our main characters are going to be, then, shall we? All right, who shall we have for Princess Escargot Pudding?"

And the vote came in…with seventeen votes for Kagome to play the part of Princess Escargot Pudding.

"W-what!? Why me!?" Kagome sputtered. "I-I mean, there have to be better candidates there!" She pointed at the list. She had been surprised to be nominated and was now equally surprised to be elected, especially over the likes of Mai, Rakasu, and Hinagiku, who had joined her on the list.

"Mai being the princess…that's a bit too on the nose, isn't it?" Nanami pointed out. "I like that as our class' personal joke."

"Hina can't do it," added Miki. "We need someone manly enough to play the prince, after all."

"H-hey! What's that supposed to mean?" Hinagiku demanded.

"Rakasu- _chan_ could do it, but then it'd have to be a D*sney musical, right?" Riza noted. "It's too much trouble to make those musical numbers."

"I think you'll be a fine princess, Kagome," Momo said. "It's sometimes easy to forget, but you are a wealthy, noble _ojô-sama_. You're like a manga protagonist all on your own."

"We have a few other _ojô-samas_ , like Izumi- _chan_ ," Chisame muttered, almost outside of everyone's hearing. "But unlike her, Kagome at least isn't clumsy and foolish…she's much more reliable."

"Okay…it's decided. Kagome's our princess," Kain declared with finality. "Now, on to the next…."

Hinagiku was voted the role of the prince almost unanimously…the lone dissenting vote being hers.

"Hina- _chô_ is perfect for the role of the prince," crowed Kanade. "And unlike most of the class, she doesn't even have to do anything to her body to dress like a boy!"

"W-wait! What was that, Kanade- _chan_!?"

Riza was given the role of the king, and Miki the role of the wicked stepmother. Alyssa was cast the 'mysterious child'.

"I almost think you drummed up a role like this just to give to me," Alyssa murmured, a somewhat dangerous sparkle in her eye. "But I'll play along, Yûki Kanade. We'll see how it goes…and how much revenge I should be plotting…."

"All right," Kain declared, again breaking up all the excitement and discussions. "Now that that's all sorted, it's up to you to do prepare yourselves for the Festival. I'll be here to help as I'm needed, but mostly…I wish you the best of luck…."

8-8-8

"Oh, dashing Prince of Sandapple Kingdom!" Kagome cried dramatically. "Are you the one who is to be the love of my life? The Prince who will take this Princess? Should that be the case, I would feel that these trials and indignities I've suffered to come here would be diminished in importance, indeed, they would be made light as the air itself…."

"What on earth are you talking about, Kagome? You sound like a crazy person."

Kagome started and glared at the interloper. "I-Inuyasha! W-what are you doing here!? Didn't I tell you about that…!?"

"I even tried knocking on the wall here, but you were so caught up in your yelling there you didn't hear me," Inuyasha muttered in reply, slipping into the room through the open window. Kagome continued her glare, but as Inuyasha straightened up his stance and slipped his hands into opposite sleeves, he pointedly didn't look back at her. "What are you doing, anyway? I heard the words, but they really didn't make any sense."

Kagome sighed. "I'm just rehearsing for our stupid play. I can hardly make any sense of this script myself, really…but I need to do the best I can, after all. Grandpa would never forgive me if I didn't give my all at school."

"Play? What, a performance? Why are you doing that?"

"It's the Fall Festival coming up! Things like that happen at Festivals, you know, when you're in school. You should know that, right?"

"Not really. I never went to school, so I really wouldn't know."

This flat explanation quieted Kagome's smoldering anger and imperiousness rather quickly. "O-oh, I see…sorry, I guess I was being insensitive…." Inuyasha didn't react to the apology, and she continued, "You know, we were together for the better part of four months, five now, really, but I still don't…well, I know _you_ , I think, but sometimes I wonder what I actually know _about_ you. I don't remember you telling me anything about your childhood or your home, for instance…."

"That's right," he replied curtly. "I didn't." Glancing over at her face, he saw her look become somewhat taken aback and apologetic all at once, and he softened somewhat. "My _oyaji_ was never around. I was raised alone by my mother. It was a small, rather primitive kingdom on the western continent, and she was actually a nobleman's daughter…she taught me, educated me herself. Of course, since I was an illegitimate child and a _hanyô_ to boot, we both suffered a lot of persecution, and it took me a long time to even understand that. So I left as soon as I could. As soon as she died." He shook his head and focused abruptly and fully on Kagome. "Anyway, what's this about the play?"

Kagome sighed and explained (in very brief detail) about the Festival and its required activities. "And so we have to do some kind of a performance; they wanted to do a play, and I got elected to play the lead part, the Princess Escargot Pudding. I don't get any of it, but if they want me to do it…."

"I don't get it, either; who'd make you the Princess?"

Kagome narrowed her eyes dangerously, and Inuyasha actually flinched back from the look. Then she sighed and turned away. "I was wondering that myself, but it somehow really hurts to hear you say it…" she muttered very quietly.

"Eh? What was that?"

"Nothing!" She turned her harsh glare back on him. "Anyway, if you're going to show up, could you at least help me with my lines? Here!" She thrust a copy of the script into his face. "You can play the part of the prince for now. Read these lines here where it says 'Lancaster'."

"B-but…."

"C'mon, now!"

With Kagome's encouragement and instructions, Inuyasha stumbled through the lines at least enough to help her out a little, she felt.

As they took a break, she spied him staring out the window, looking almost at nothing. "Inuyasha?" she asked curiously. "Is something the matter?"

"What? No…I was just thinking. There's something…different about this place."

"Different? Well, I'm sure Earth must be boring after living in Arcanus Myrror, but…."

"No, I don't even mean Earth. I haven't gone outside the grounds of your 'Mahora Academy' here much, but…even I can tell that the world outside is different than what you have in here. It's not just the technology…although that's a bit of a bother. The more 'civilized' the human lands are, the more they remind me of those parts of me that are and yet can't be human. But here, in this 'Academy'…there's a smell, mostly coming from the World Tree. It's…comforting…unlike anything on Arcanus Myrror, and definitely not like anywhere else around here in your world."

Kagome stared at him, surprised and somewhat intrigued. "Really? I can't say I ever noticed."

 _('But no,')_ she thought _, ('that's not quite true, is it? I'm just so used to it after living here for three years, but…the more I learn magic, the more I can sense that, too, probably because of my inherited magical and spiritual powers. Yeah…even in Orimus, there wasn't a feeling like this school….')_ "What about it, anyway? Do you actually like it here?"

"What? Well, I wouldn't say that…but…I can admit it's nice not having to feel like an outcast all the time. It's funny…I didn't like it when they laughed at me at first, but now they actually seem…used to me. It's like they don't even know what I am. Even in Orimus, where everyone was polite, I could tell that most humans were afraid of me, and the other races usually looked down on me."

 _('And he's actually not had too much trouble fitting in,')_ Kagome admitted again just to herself. _('He's definitely…odd-looking, normal people would think, but at Mahora they're used to odd…in some ways he's lucky he's here and not elsewhere….')_ "Well, I'm glad you haven't been having too much trouble. I admit I feel…a little guilty and worried about you, about whether you'd manage trapped here, but…."

"What are you talking about?" Inuyasha demanded irritably. "Of course I'm handling it fine! You managed to be okay trapped over there, right? Why should it be any harder for me in your world?"

"Well, I suppose that's true. Anyway, enough of a break! Shall we get back to work, then?"

"What? On the play? No way!" Inuyasha insisted, jumping to his feet and making his way to the window. "I've had enough of that for now. You keep at it if you have to, but I don't think I can take much more of that nonsense!"

Kagome felt a pang of sympathy…and a sudden desire to set aside her practice herself. "Wait," she said suddenly. "I think I've about had all I can, too. Why don't we head out somewhere together? Really, I should get some shopping done so Mai will have something to cook tonight; perhaps you can help me carry the bags?"

"Huh? Ah, do I have to…?"

"Well, you don't have to, but it might be just a bit of a repayment to Mai, who cooks for you so often…."

"Bah! I get it, I get it! Let's just get going!"

Kagome giggled. "Sure!"

8-8-8

Kanade, flanked by her exasperated sister, held up the item. "Next up: this old teddy bear! It belonged to a _sempai_ who graduated, and was left behind, lost, but we just recovered it! What am I bid…?"

Erika stood in the background, watching the event, sighing slightly to herself. She wondered how long it would take before interruptions would set in….

"Is she at it again?" Kain asked, walking casually up to her. "Auctioning off old items from the dorms? I remember when she was doing it at the start of the year."

It was one of the usual minor crazy events that were part of everyday life at Mahora. Kanade found and retrieved many items left behind by their departing _sempai_ or those who left for other reasons, like transferring out, and auctioned them off in the square at Sakura Lane between the main middle school girls' and main middle school boys' dorms…at least until the teachers caught her doing it and chased her off (and confiscated the items). She did it for funds for various activities (all relevant to the school, and not her personal profit—even if she was quite eccentric, Kanade was at least dutiful).

"I think it's to raise money for the Fall Festival," Erika replied easily. "For more funds for the haunted house and props and such for the play."

"I thought everything she had before was confiscated."

"Well, I think she got all those back, and more besides." Erika sighed and shook her head. "And I believe Nagato- _san_ is helping her. She's been trying to 'help' the class more recently, but she doesn't always understand that what some of them want isn't what's best. What she is…getting those items back wasn't trouble for her, and I think she included all the stuff that Asakura Ryoko- _san_ …left behind."

And that was certainly a thought they didn't want much to think about. Whatever had happened to the other 'human interface', Yuki had made it clear she would not be returning, and in fact the school received 'official notice' that her family had moved to Canada over the summer, very quickly, leaving no forwarding address or anything besides. Kain, in his current state, was aware of all the parts of the matter and the way the magical intelligences were operating, but for the girls in his class who had been there, it was a rather…unsettling end to an unsettling surprise.

Kain glanced over at Erika as one of the other teachers, the local nun Sister Amaike, came running up to break up Kanade's unlicensed 'fundraiser'. She continued staring at the two girls calmly…and particularly at Haruna. Kain studied the watcher for several seconds before catching her attention and motioning that they should leave the scene of the crime. "I've noticed this before, but you seem particularly careful around Kanade," Kain remarked. "And…maybe even more so around her sister."

Erika glanced over at Kain. "I'm not sure what you're talking about."

"Oh? You're not even aware of it? That's fine if I can't find out anything more, then. I'm sure that Iori- _sempai_ would probably be more than willing to talk about it, and I'm sure he's knowledgeable, too…."

Erika stopped and turned to face Kain fully, scowling furiously. "Are you trying to be a busybody, Kain- _sensei_?"

"I'm not trying to get under your skin or anything," Kain replied easily. "But I have a couple promises to fulfill, and even though I've been very busy lately, that's no excuse to forget about them."

Erika blinked. "Promises?"

"I promised the other sisters that I'd check up on you." He chuckled. "Your roommates are actually rather busybodies, you know."

"Y-yes, well…."

"And there's the promise I made to you, too."

This startled her anew. "E-eh? That…oh! No…you don't have to, Kain- _sensei_ …I know…."

" _I_ know you're still an important friend to all of us," Kain said. "Probably no one had it worse in Arcanus Myrror than you. Not even me. And you've been strong and brave for the class, but I don't think anyone's had it worse here, either. I can't promise a lot yet, but I at least want to check up on you…so I can be aware of how you're doing and ready to help out however I can. So…if nothing else, help me help you, and tell me what's going on between you and the Yûkisisters."

Erika stuttered for several seconds, then sighed and shook her head. "…All right. I know you won't leave it alone until you hear it. Did you hear about how Haruna- _chan_ had…an accident as a child, and was hospitalized?"

"Yes," Kain said promptly. "She got amnesia from that incident, and lost an entire year of her life. I've studied up on most of you, and your families; everything that's readily available." He smiled somewhat sadly, perhaps feeling guilty over an event that could be construed, or at least that he seemed liable to construe, as spying.

"W-well, naturally…but all of that is a lie. It's a fabrication to cover up the truth. It's actually…my fault….

"I mentioned before how young vampires cannot control their urges, don't have the awareness to reign them in, so I was kept confined when I was a child…but one day I escaped and started going out secretly into the neighborhood. I met Haruna- _chan_ out there, and began to play with her…we became friends. I used to sneak out to be with her more and more. But then, one day…the day of the 'incident'…while chasing after me, she got in front of a big truck that was going to hit her. Knowing she would be killed, I leapt in with my vampire powers and saved her…but…it frightened her. I knew, as I stared at her face with my blazing red eyes, that she was horrified at what she had seen, that she couldn't handle it. I knew…I had to do something. So I used my powers, and erased her memory. I wasn't very practiced with it, so I took all the time we'd been together and then a bit more, and so she lost that year of her life. She doesn't remember me at all…but…I've caused that trouble for her…."

Kain considered this. "…I see. Before, you were camouflaging that better…I never noticed until we came back. Is the fact that Kanade knows your secret the impetus for this suddenly renewed guilt…or maybe what happened to Yue?" Erika glanced away, not meeting his gaze. "I see. That's something we'll probably have to…take care of, one way or another, but I won't bother you about it now. Thank you, Erika." And he bowed and started away.

She stared after him. "W-wait!" she insisted, causing him to turn back to her. "T-that's it? No…scolding, or advice, or…or anything?"

Kain stared back at her for several long moments and shrugged. "Before, I'd have tried, but I probably wouldn't have done any good. I'm grateful you've shared with me. I'm considering it, but right now, I don't have all the answers for your situation. Because you're my friend, I'm going to do all I can to help you, but I know I can only do so much…so I'm going to do what I can, when I can. For now, though, that's something I can't really interfere with. It's between you and the Yûki sisters. If there's anything I can do to help, just let me know…otherwise, for now I'll leave you alone." And then he again bowed to her and turned away.

Erika watched him ago, awe and a bit of resentment and gratitude all swirling together. She wrapped her arms up, gripping them tightly. "Goodness, Kain- _sensei_ ," she sighed. "You always…just what do we do with you…?"

8-8-8

Tuesday, October 30th. The test of the previous day had concluded without too much fuss or difficulty, for which Kain was grateful. The class likely hadn't excelled as it had at the end of last year, but overall their score was an impressive second.

"You know, this isn't right," Kain remarked as they were preparing the haunted house to open. "We're a day early. We should be doing a haunted house tomorrow, on the 31st. Halloween is the day you're supposed to do scary things like that."

"Ah, but that isn't the case here, Kain- _sensei_ ," Alyssa remarked to him. "Halloween isn't really celebrated by Japan; in fact, America is pretty unique in celebrating Halloween like they do. Rather, the Japanese prefer to tell scary stories and such in the summer, you know."

"Well, that's true. In which case, having it at this time of year is almost too late, isn't it? Oh, well."

"Hey, hey, Kain- _sensei_!" Kanade insisted. "How come you aren't participating!? You could do all sorts of jobs and tricks here, you know…!"

"I'm just a teacher," Kain said with a smile. "None of us are supposed to have anything to do with most of the classes' actual activities; I'm only with you here because of our various special circumstances. Besides, I don't really like things like haunted houses. So I can't play a ghost or whatever, but don't worry, I'll help you out—I'm going to use my own magic just to make sure that the house you spent so much time and effort building doesn't get destroyed by any overenthusiastic guests."

"Destroyed? Oh, Kain- _sensei_ , that won't happen!" Risa insisted.

Kain smiled and shook his head. "No, I'm sure it will, Risa. Between the realism in the illusion magic Yue and Kagome have been teaching you for this, and the kinds of visitors we're likely to collect…there could be a lot of danger here.

"But I was wondering," Kain continued, glancing at Yue and changing topics. "Before, your explanation suggested that all the students have to concentrate on their activities this day. In that case, wouldn't our only customers and patrons be the locals or other visitors from outside the actual school? But some of the comments suggested that we might entertain other students here…."

"Well, naturally they can't work us to death in here all day long," Miki replied. "We do get breaks, after all, and we might as well use that time to check out and enjoy the rest of the stalls."

"You may think it's counterproductive for us to spend our own money at other people's places," Riku continued. "But everyone does it, at least a little. Sometimes people can leave to check out the competition, and all that. And some people just can't avoid their vices…."

"That's right!" Riza announced. "That's why we should have gone with a Kain- _sensei_ Kiss Korner! Not only would we have raked in the money, but we would have pulled all the ladies from the middle and high schools from their own stalls so they couldn't get any work done! It would have been two birds, one stone!"

"Well, sorry, _this_ bird is not a sacrifice…."

"In any case, we all definitely have to stick around more than we did during the Mahora Festival," Ami assured him. "We won't get as many breaks, but we should have time to sneak out a few at a time. Ah, but we should get ready…our first customers are about to arrive!"

Kain watched from the wings as it all got underway. The haunted house had been hand-constructed by the class in the yard, with considerable help in that department from Kain and his magic; it was fifty feet square and several stories tall, and had a small upper control room where Kain was able to sit and observe all the proceedings through the well-placed cameras.

Japanese folklore was rife with terror stories, and they took their haunted houses rather seriously, which is why schools enjoyed putting them together for festivals such as this—they were common, far more so than they were in America. Kain had no experience with them himself, as with all other such things, so he was no judge as to how it compared, but it seemed impressive—particularly with the magic that certain members had taken to employing. Realistic props and such were all well and good, too, but a realistic magical illusion could show anything they wanted….

And so visitors began to show up. There were a few who came alone or in groups of friends, but situations like this were a preferred 'date visit', for rather obvious reasons, and the couples coming through had their hands full, but for the most part the house seemed to be running smoothly enough.

There were a few small bumps in the smooth operation—when Tear, Rin and Mei came to pay their respects to Kain and investigate his class' project, the girls, convinced that normal means wouldn't scare experienced mages (rather incorrectly, in fact, as Tear was one of those girls with a strange weakness for ghosts despite her magical acumen, and Mei was timid enough about everything), decided to conjure up some powerful unkillable phantasms to harass them. Although at first they attempted to disbelieve any threats or dangers, knowing it was a house designed to inspire fear with tricks, the magical nature of the demons finally convinced them they were in real danger, and they responded with potentially lethal spells in response.

And Kain used his magic to restrict, channel, and limit the attacks so that they didn't blow the house sky-high. Eventually the girls on scare duty grew tired of harassing their _sempai_ (or more likely ran out of magic to maintain such intense illusions, inexperienced as they were with such magic) and the three were allowed to escape. Kain definitely felt some pity for them.

Inuyasha posed another interesting conundrum. By fate or strange coincidence, he showed up while Kagome was on escort duty and she enthusiastically and slightly diabolically was thrilled to potentially scare and/or embarrass the arrogant _hanyô_ , and encouraged her enthusiastic comrades behind the scenes to throw equally threatening phantoms his way. Inuyasha dealt with the threats with such disdain and ennui that the illusionary phantasms slunk away in shame.

Kagome was incensed and the monsters grew more potent, finally prompting Inuyasha, to Kagome's alarm, to draw and use his sword. This power, too, Kain restricted until the illusionists exhausted their energy, and Inuyasha strutted in triumph out of the house.

"I'm really surprised you're encouraging this," Kamo noted as the day began to wind down. "Sure, it's not waving magic around on a sign, but you're encouraging your students to use it, still…the fact that magic is going to become normal here hardly seems like a proper excuse…."

"It's not that," Kain replied. "It's meant as an outlet…this class was in some ways the worst group to give magic to, which made my work so difficult early on. They want to use magic. This is an excuse to use it, and hopefully, it will satisfy them, so they don't go using it recklessly in worse circumstances."

Kamo chuckled. "Well…maybe." _('But really…I sense something stirring here…I think these girls are about to cause a lot of trouble….')_

8-8-8

Wednesday: The Athletic Competition portion of the Festival.

There were some normal competitions: races of varying lengths, javelin throwing, long jump & pole vault, the rest…but….

"But it's obvious people like Iori- _sempai_ were involved in the creation of this event," Kain noted. "And how much of a threat am I really supposed to be in exposing the 'magical secret?'."

There was the Cross-Campus Parkour Competition, racing along the rooftops of Mahora.

The annual Authentic War Games Competition, using real guns (but with blank rounds) and even military equipment such as helicopters that belonged to the (various) military and war-games clubs (especially at University level).

Giant Ball-Rolling, a competition where teams rolled giant spheres of rubber down the streets of Mahora in a wild race.

And, of course, the Ultimahora Tournament, which Akari won once again in a narrow defeat of Kiami. The three swordsmen of Hikaru, Kenjirô and Delryn watched on the sidelines, lamenting the fact that weapons were not allowed—and, hence, the reason they had chosen not to participate.

(Kenjirô and Delryn had, however, joined the Parkour competition and raced against each other).

"Akari's really separated herself…even from Kiami," Kain noted upon receiving the news of her victory (sadly, he had been unable to watch the proceedings, as his teacher duties had him watching over other competitions). "I suppose it's only natural…Kiami could still be a better combatant in certain types of battles, but as their skills increase, her trickery won't match up as well in a wide-open one-on-one duel format…."

"I guess so," Mai agreed. "I still don't think I'm enough of a fighter myself to respond to that comment with any authority…."

Kain smirked slightly. "Well, that's fine. You don't have to be 'into' fighting. Really, I'm not, either, but I have studied it a bit too much recently…anyway, it seems our class is doing pretty well at all its competitions. The day's just about over, right? That means…I'm a little worried."

"Huh? What about?"

"Well, Iori- _sempai_ has been in charge of most of the proceedings, right? Just like the Athletic Festival? But he hasn't shown any particularly strange events yet…some weird ones, but ones more, I don't know, basic to Mahora itself. Nothing like that three-legged Cosplay contest…so what's he still got up his sleeve…?"

"Hopefully nothing?" Mai ventured.

"I could only wish. What do we have left on the agenda?"

"Only one thing, actually: the campus-wide event. Let me see…." She consulted the program. "Ah, that's right…the annual 'borrowing' game."

"Borrowing?"

"Yeah, it's…."

An explosion, centered on them, drowned out Mai's comment. The two of them retreated immediately with instant steps before the blast touched them, and they focused on their assailants. Kain stared in mild surprise as the tank, with armed and armored soldiers marching swiftly in its wake, continued moving towards him. "What's this?" he demanded.

"We've found the main target!" called one soldier into his walkie-talkie. "It's the child teacher! Repeat, it's the child teacher, Kain Lockeheart! Initiating capture mission! Don't underestimate him! Remember, this was the runner-up at the Mahora True Battle Tournament!"

"Is this…the campus-wide event?" Kain murmured. "Why do I have tanks coming after me…?"

"Can you hear me, Kain- _sensei_?" came a broadcast from the group. "This is the ad hoc Festival Unit of all the various military and war games groups at Mahora. We have you completely surrounded! Submit and follow our commands!"

"Really?" Kain actually smirked, glancing around in bemusement as more vehicles and soldiers moved into the plaza area to surround him.

"Light him up!" cried the broadcasting commander, perhaps a little too swiftly.

Kain and innocent bystander Mai both vanished before the shots hit. He alighted on a nearby roof and Mai next to him. "You better get clear," Kain told her. "It seems they're just after me. You shouldn't get pulled into this."

Mai bristled. "Hey, now…."

"I know you always hate it when I say I don't need your help," Kain insisted. "But this is just a game, even if these guys seem to be taking me seriously. I'd rather handle it myself. So, please…let me enjoy myself just a little here."

Mai scowled at him. "The way you say that worries me almost more than your safety in this ridiculous situation. But…I guess I'd rather not get caught in the crossfire if you're the target of this stupid competition. Just…be careful, all right?" And she slipped away.

Meanwhile, the soldiers down below had been mesmerized by his feats and were discussing strategy and follow-ups, conveniently allowing him his conversation with his student. "What an amazing jump…I never even saw it! He's as incredible as the rumors say! We'll have to get serious…."

"So, this is the final 'game'," Kain called down, leaning forward and putting an elbow on his knee. "Could you guys at least tell me what, exactly, is going on, so I know the rules? Then you can blow me up to your hearts' content."

There was a sudden laugh that seemed to fill Mahora. He glanced up at the holographic figure that appeared in the air—a massive image of Iori Sendô. While he struck a cool and awe-inspiring pose, sneering down at Kain with a smile while resting a hand thoughtfully under his chin, the image was ruined because his aide, Seiichirô Tôgi, was in the picture as well, sighing in the background with obvious disdain. Oblivious to the photo-bomber, Iori announced, "Well, let it begin: the official Campus-Wide Borrowing Event! The popular event where we make unreasonable demands of the teachers every year! This year, we announce a special bonus: the target is Kain Lockeheart- _sensei_ , the youthful girls' English teacher, homeroom teacher for Middle School Girls' 3-A! Anyone who succeeds in 'borrowing' something from the famous child teacher will receive a 100x bonus! Amazing, isn't it?"

"What is this, a bad Japanese quiz show?" Kain demanded.

"Now, not only is he worth such a prize, but if anyone other than his homeroom class manages to borrow something from him, it's an equivalent penalty to the 3-A girls! So you're a prize, and a penalty, Kain- _sensei_! So you better get moving! Good luck!" And the image vanished.

"Iori- _sempai_ …" Kain muttered. "So this is today's game." He glanced over at the oncoming enemies—now, not just would-be soldiers, but members of various clubs and classes, desperate for a sensational point boost in the Festival competitions—began to converge on him. "Well, fine…let's go, then."

He began to leap away in great bounds as the pursuit came. Everywhere he landed prompted more enemies, particularly high school and university students, to attack him (while calling out futilely for his shirt, tie, coat, or any other item they could 'borrow' for the game's victory condition), but he slipped through and by them all quite easily…and finally he took to the air and flew high in a quick burst, quickly disappearing from the sight of most.

He slowed and hovered, glancing around at the bustling city below. "Well, it's rather unfair to put me in this kind of situation…it's stupid, so I'd rather not be a part of it. I'll just sneak away and lie low until the timer runs out…Iori will probably try to track me somehow, but I should manage…."

He snapped to alertness as the missiles came flying in at him. Not actual missiles from the military groups—magical bullets, in fact, arcing through the air in unnatural angles as they homed in on him. _('Magical gunfire…Aiden? No, he can't be here…this is….')_

He dodged the shots, but they swerved around to seek him, gaining speed. He started towards the ground, constantly dodging the attacks and releasing quick bursts to cancel them, but two finally got close enough to impact against a tight magical shield. The impact tossed him the rest of the way to the ground, much to his surprise, and left a startling revelation…mana was leaking off of him from about where the shield had been hit, that magic dissolved to nothing, and his control of magic began to seize up. _('That's…magic seals….)_

He noticed a bunch of small robot-like objects floating in the air around him…Miki's SpyBots. He glanced over at the arising chuckles and saw Riza, her guns smoking. She blew at the barrel dramatically. "Magic-suppression bullets. Sunder and Thunder can do some amazing things," she said smugly.

Miki, Izumi, Risa, Riku, Kaoru, Kanade, and Nanami were all with her. "Kain- _sensei_!" Kanade declared boldly. "It's time for your reckoning! We'll teach you to play with the hearts of so many girls!"

Kain stared at them impassively. "Okay…so what's this about, exactly? What do you mean?"

"Don't play dumb!" Riku insisted. "You act so casual about it, you Don Juan…you seduce and bedazzle so many girls, getting them to fall for you, and you just act like you don't notice or care!"

"I'm not trying to seduce or bedazzle anyone," Kain replied.

"That just makes it worse!" Miki insisted. "So, now that we have this opportunity, it's time to even the score, and punish that naïve playboy attitude. And, finally…we'll discover who it is that you really like! We'll put this farcical harem situation to rest in one decisive stroke!"

Kain glanced askew at his assailants. "Really? You think you have the ability to do that?"

"Don't underestimate us!" Riza insisted. "We've been learning magic…we've mastered the power granted by our contracts, and our artifacts…with their abilities, we can take you down easily! You can't stand against all of us! Especially since your magic has been sealed for six minutes!"

"Six minutes? Really?"

"That's right! That's what my magic suppression bullets do! Three minutes each, two hits…even I can do that kind of math!"

"I see." Kain made a slashing motion with his hand, and a magical wave scored a channel in between the two parties. They stared in shock.

"But wait, wasn't that supposed to seal his magic!?" Risa demanded.

"Against a normal mage, a normal human, sure," Kain replied. "But I am neither now, you know. I warned you before. You can't stop my magic without killing me…magic _is_ my lifeforce, and even artifacts like Sunder and Thunder don't have enough power to stop my lifeforce." He smiled somewhat evilly at them. "It's true…I might have underestimated you. But I think you underestimated me, as well. You don't stand a chance. So, why don't we make it interesting? I'll up the ante. Whoever can best me, take an item from me in this 'borrowing' game, will get a special prize—I'll do whatever you say, follow any command that that person gives me, no matter what it is."

There was an obvious freezing in the group as they considered the implications and possibilities of this. "Right now, I think this might mean a lot to you. I mean it in all seriousness," Kain continued. "But don't make the mistake of fighting amongst yourselves for the prize. None of you will ever succeed alone. So bring your best…show me everything you've got…do your best to prove what you've learned to your _Mahô Sensei_. Don't disappoint me, now…."

There was silence for a moment as they considered this. Then, with cheers, they came at him, artifacts flashing….

F I N

 _Author's Note: Insanity_

 _Yeah, real insanity here. Almost less insane than I wanted it._

 _This section of Negima was actually just the Athletics Festival, but I expanded it to this weeklong craziness for two reasons: A), because I'd already done the Sports Festival (Athletics Festival, whatever) and B), I wanted to include the play portion for the nod to Inuyasha. But this part is Negima…._

 _Well, not the haunted house. Okay, kind of the haunted house. They actually did a haunted house during the big summer festival instead of the food court, but I felt I had too many cooks to pass that up. I think a café is better. I hate horror tropes and haunted houses and the like…but using one for this section was different, at least. It also let me play with this whole 'magic is coming' idea, and find an outlet for the enthusiastic new spellcasters or whatever. It's otherwise totally different than Negima's, however. Several chapters preceding the Festival focused on the class trying to set up the haunted house (without magic). Also, they played with poor little Negi a lot, dressing him up as a fox girl or sending him through the house and terrifying the poor 10-year-old boy. None of that works here, so…I did what I did._

 _I was trying to run the two scenarios I alluded to in detail, but it turned out to be too much trouble. I'm really not good with horror tropes and the like, and copying Negi's trek through the house seemed lame, so after typing out several pages of a really stupid and pointless Tear/Rin/Mei adventure, I just deleted it all and started over, giving this overview of what happened that probably is for the best._

 _But now the real insanity: this 'borrowing' game. This part is 90% Negima, including the military clubs and other matches and the like. Yeah, real tanks and helicopters? O-KAY, but this is a stupid comedy manga…so I just ran with that, since it's 'canon'. Anyway, the borrowing was actually started by Negi's class itself in the original, as the head cheerleader girl finally learns about the contracts (naturally, Negima did not have a matter-of-fact magic explanation to the class like I had) and she goes berserk upon learning that Negi is such a playboy and womanizer, and goads most of the class into helping her with this project to punish Negi and teach him to understand a girl's heart (yeah, right). Instead, the main impetus behind mine is…well, okay, Iori, but Alyssa's talk back before helped spark it as well._

 _But in some ways, my Kain is more, well, 'diabolical', now that he's demon-tainted, and so he's going to teach the girls a lesson instead. We'll see how it all plays out. Negi was actually restricted by the magic suppression bullets (of Yûna Akashi) and had to run for his life, but Kain will be much harder to take out. Impossible…?_

 _We'll see how it goes next chapter for my poor intrepid hero! And he'll explain his motivations to certain parties, too…._


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: This is a nonprofit fictional story, a FanFiction based on Ken Akamatsu's Negima. I do not own Negima, or most of the other characters included in this work, excepting where it is stated in the author's notes. It is not intended or presented for any commercial profit or personal gain; it is simply a story written for personal fulfillment and presented for public enjoyment, and as an honest homage to the fine story conceived and written by Ken Akamatsu, as well as all the other (innumerable) works that find place herein (and their authors).

Chapter Four: Kain vs. The Class! ~Heart vs. Heart~

Kain released a blast of energy around him, obscuring him and stopping the girl's charge. He then teleported away, but not before stopping in the air to blast Miki's surveillance robots to dust.

He alighted on a familiar roof and turned to look over the Festival. He shook his head. It didn't make sense…it shouldn't exist…even acknowledging the power of magic, the insane events at Mahora were things that simply couldn't be believed.

"That was a rather bold offer you made, Kain," a voice said behind him.

Kain smiled. "Hello, Mai. You were listening in?"

"Well, of course." Mai stepped up next to Kain and glanced shrewdly at him. "I was a little concerned when my classmates started going after their teacher…even with the whole 'borrowing' thing going on, they're really going hard after you. Should you really have thrown fuel on the fire?"

Kain smiled. "Kids are getting uppity, biting off more than they can chew. Some of them have already forgotten what they just escaped from. So, time to show them."

"Really…? But isn't it dangerous? What if they win? Are you really prepared to do whatever they ask? You know what you'll ask for…."

"Yeah…most of them would, probably. And maybe that's what I'm secretly hoping for…that one of them would win…and save me the pain and anguish of having to make a choice." As Mai stared at him, trying to digest this odd thought, he turned back to her with a smile. "What about you, Mai? Won't you join in the game with your classmates? It'll probably be boring if they don't have your help."

Mai's expression took on an entirely different feel after this question. "…You're kidding, right? Sorry, but I'm really not going to get involved here. If you want to rile them up, fine, but…."

"Kain- _sensei_!" They turned as Momo, as a _hinigami_ , bounded up to them. "There you are! I was looking all over for you! What's going on!? That broadcast…."

"Iori started something crazy," Kain replied, still smiling. "Probably the idea was suggested to him by one or more members of our class. Now 3-A is out to get me…and so I've upped the ante. The one who can get me first will receive a favor from me, of anything they want."

"Huh? K-Kain- _sensei_ …is that wise…?"

"Normally, no. But if this is a stupid game, and they're making me play against my will, I'm going to play it by my rules, with whatever incentives or handicaps I feel like. What about you, Momo? You're part of the class, too…if you want to join them, the same offer is open to you…."

Momo stared in shock and flushed slightly. "K-Kain- _sensei_ …! Are you serious!?"

"Mostly. Well, but it is a game. It may seem…out of character for me, but…I suddenly feel this is a great moment to release some stress. Don't worry about it. They started it…and I'll finish it, my way. If you don't feel like participating, just sit on the sideline and watch. It doesn't matter to me either way." He glanced up at a small floating robot that was stealthily drifting in. "Oh…looks like Miki's recovered at least one of her robots. They know I'm here, now, and will be here soon."

"What!? This is crazy! Go on, Kain- _sensei_ , I'll slow them here…!"

Kain shook his head. "No, Momo…thank you, but I don't need any assistance. Like I said, just sit back and watch; you and Mai are two of the few with your heads screwed on right, so you're at a disadvantage. While this contest goes, just stay out of the way and let us crazies do what we have to do."

Mai sighed. "C'mon, Momo…we can't do much of anything right now, one way or the other. It's best just to listen to our teacher and let this sort itself out."

Momo sighed back. "All right…I get it. But…Kain- _sensei_ …please, don't do anything too foolish, all right? It seems like you're overreaching yourself now." She nodded at Mai, and the two vanished, stepping back and far clear of the danger zone.

Kain gazed up at the sky, a small smile on his face. "Overreaching? No…I've been overreaching all my life, and emotionally, I'm far overreached. This…is just a game, to see what happens next…." And then, in a surprisingly odd move, he vanished in an explosion of light.

8-8-8

Kain arrived in the forested area and looked around. It was where Akari had first started teaching him about survival and 'martial arts', just before he faced Alyssa. It seemed so long ago, now…and it was amazingly serene. Back in the town, there was the excitement and the stupid contest, but here, peace and tranquility, just a stone's throw away….

"Kain- _sensei_!"

Kain turned and stared at Akari, who slammed her fists together boldly. "I thought I'd find you here. This place is quiet, withdrawn…and not known to most. And it's special to you, right? Like it is to me."

Kain set himself fully her direction. "Yeah. So, you're after me, too? Got something you want to ask of me?"

"Yes. No. Maybe. I-I'm still trying to figure that out." She took a deep breath. "Before we begin, I…I need to talk about it. Tell you. Confess. No, tell you. You see…! I-I really like you, _Sensei_. Or I did. Or, I do! I mean…I…no, here it is. I never…thought much about boys, before. The only one I've ever really known is Hikaru- _kun_ , but he's always…been like a brother, or maybe a cousin. The first boy I've ever really interacted with outside of a sparring partner was…you. And I just don't know how I felt about that, or…how to deal with it. Everyone else talks about love, and how they like you, and…I just don't know enough about it to know what I feel. But…there was always something…."

"This might be the most amusing confession yet," Kain said, not unkindly. "But what about Delryn…?"

"Wah! H-him! Y-yes…you're jumping ahead, Kain- _sensei_ , but m-maybe that's best. Del- _kun_ …has been very kind to me as well, a-attentive…he's…I don't know what to think of him, either. Maybe I think about him like you…more than you…less, ah! I just don't know! So, this…is for my sake." She suddenly assumed one of her ready poses, her traditional opening Jeet Kune Do stance. "There's so much unanswered. I have to settle my heart. And the only way I can do that is to fight you. So…come then, Kain- _sensei_. Show your 'master' how far you've come."

Kain appraised her. "No artifact?"

Akari shook her head. "No. No artifact, no contract power. I don't care what you use, but I will not use either, nothing but my skills and my _ki_ , as I was trained."

Kain nodded and assumed an identical stance. "Fine, then. Let's settle this."

They dashed towards each other. Parries, blows, locks, the two wove a fantastic martial arts battle, using their identical and varied styles, but…it was clear to both that in this case the apprentice had clearly become the master.

Finally, after one hard hit broke Akari's guard, Kain captured her in a grapple and threw her to the ground. She hit hard, gasped as she bounced, and lay unmoving even as Kain retreated a step (a normal step, not an instant step in this case) and resumed his ready stance. Akari breathed in heavily as her mind pondered the event.

 _('Yes…I can tell. Not just from his skills, but from his manner…from his heart. He is and always has been far beyond my reach.')_ "That's enough, Kain- _sensei_ …I admit defeat. I can't match you, not even at pure martial arts anymore."

She rose slowly to her feet. "That was…maybe the scariest thing. When I first met you, you were a baby bird with barely any understanding of combat or martial arts. I was flattered that you would actually ask me to teach you. I was amazed by your growth, and encouraged it…but I never believed that you would surpass me so completely in such a short time. I was scared of admitting it, of feeling like a failure…even though I know the road of martial arts is uneven and unfair, it just seemed too much. But that, too, has closure here. It's enough. Thank you for the match, Kain- _sensei_."

Kain relaxed and nodded. "And thank you, Akari—for everything." He bowed to her.

"Well, Kain- _kun_ …this is a surprise."

Kain glanced over at the newcomers. "Takamichi…Meia- _sensei_. Are you guys on the run, too?"

Takamichi laughed. "That's right…well, Iori- _kun_ gave that big announcement painting a target on you, but the truth is that there's more to this event than just you…all of the teachers are targets to the school, and borrowing anything earns points for the Festival."

"Well, normally they're no threat to us, so we can largely ignore them," Meia commented. "But…your…heroics have created a much stronger base of aggressive students, so we haven't had it easy, either. We felt your little duel going on and realized that this area was more isolated, so we came here for a breather."

"Why don't we work together, Kain- _kun_?" Takamichi offered. "We teachers need to stick together against a common enemy, after all…."

Kain smiled. "Well…as much as I was fine doing this on my own, maybe I should try to help protect you…if you don't mind walking around with the guy who has the biggest nuclear target on his back."

"No worries," Meia said with a half-smile. "Your 'protection' is probably worth the risk. There is safety in numbers…."

And then suddenly both older teachers vanished before Kain's eyes.

He stared in shock a moment, and only his inhuman instincts allowed him to react as Kenjirô came at him from behind with both swords. "What incredible stealth," Kain murmured as he pushed his mana blades against his friend's weapons. "You're joining in the game, Kenji?"

"Heh." Kenjirô smirked. "Well, normally I'd rather not get involved, but if my girl asks a favor, well, right now I'm kinda obligated to say yes…."

"I-I'm not your girl…!" Yukari protested, appearing out of nowhere, her mask in her hand. Then she started, remembering herself, and slipped her mask over her face, and vanished again.

"Yukari- _san_ …of course," Kain smirked. "Using her, huh? Great stealth, for certain."

"Ah? I'm surprised you even remember her," Kenjirô responded. "In fact, I'm a little surprised I do. Her disappearing from existence is pretty crazy…."

"You're her master, so you can't possibly forget her," Kain noted even as he fought. "And I'm your master, and in addition a technical Infernal, so my mind can remember multiple realities, even if things change. That's basically how it works. I figured it was her or Kiami…no…it's both, isn't it?"

"Very good, Kain- _sensei_ ," Kiami murmured, sweeping her own artifact at his open back.

But Kain vanished before it reached him. He reappeared a short distance away, on the other side of the river. "Nice try…you're thinking well," he admonished them. "But not enough. You need a few more concentrated efforts to break my guard…."

Then Delryn and Hikaru came at him from opposite sides. He once again conjured blades of magic into his hands to block his assailants' swords. "And you two are joining in as well? More fun for the party…."

"Well, as Kenjirô- _kun_ says, we have to 'for our girls'," Hikaru stated apologetically.

"I never got asked, but honestly, I really think you deserve to get your ass beat a little," Delryn declared. "And if the game is like this, I don't mind contributing to it."

Kain smiled cruelly. "Nice. I'll remember that." Then he shoved both of them away and threw one mana 'sword' at Delryn's feet, where it exploded on impact into a geyser that sent him sailing into the air. He turned on Hikaru and created a flash of mana and force that blasted him away.

As Kiami and Kenjirô came charging in at him, a portal suddenly opened behind Kain and he fell back into it. "Nice try on Round 2…I can't wait to see how Round 3 goes." Then the portal snapped shut, and he disappeared before the blows fell.

8-8-8

Kain reappeared this time out where Sakura had finally vanished at the end of the Festival. "Well…now the boys are joining in. Even minus Mai and Momo, they have a formidable force. Should get interesting…."

Suddenly a purple giant crashed down next to him. He glanced up at the Evangelion before it brought a fist down on him…and, naturally, he vanished and reappeared a short distance away. "The Eva? So, Rei's targeting me, too…?"

"As if, idiot!" Kain turned to glance at Chisame, standing dramatically on top of a car that was for some reason parked in this field. "There's no way she'd do something like this! I hacked the Evangelion! I learned the trick to it while I was mucking up Hanabishi's spies for you. Don't underestimate Mahora's #1 hacker!" She then held up a paper—she, at least, seemed to be following tradition, for normally in the contest the student seeking to 'borrow' an item was supposed to present a paper with the item they desired on it before they took it, by bribery, cajolement, force or subtlety. However, Chisame's paper read, 'Give _Sensei_ a good one.'

"You hacked it while it was in card form? Impressive. But, really, 'give me a good one?' What's that about?"

Chisame hopped down off the car and marched over to him, winding up her arm. "What do you think!? I'm gonna smack you good and hard on behalf of all the girls in our class! And more than that…this is for Tokiha, too!"

Kain glanced askew at her. "…Okay, what are you talking about now?"

"Don't play dumb! You've been playing the 'attentive teacher', and Tokiha the 'dedicated student', but I know there's something up here! Now, take this already!" She had finally reached Kain and lashed out, punching towards his face.

Kain caught her fist easily, however. "You're saying some interesting things. Possibly suggestive. Would you please explain?"

"Oh, c'mon, now! I know you've been using Rakasu for it, too, with whatever weird artifact you gave her! It's about these magical worlds, right? You even gathered us all up to talk about them after we escaped that nightmare, but you've been treating it like it wasn't anything! Now we never see you anymore apart from class! You're never at Alyssa's! And Tokiha, either, recently! She hasn't done any of her jobs since we got back, and yet she vanishes after class, too! It's the Crystal Princess, isn't it!? You two are still trying to 'fix' these worlds, and you aren't talking to us about it at all! What the hell, just leaving us behind like that!?"

"That's funny…I thought you didn't want anything more to do with those magic worlds and crazy dangers anymore. Now you're saying you want in?"

"S-stop trying to twist my words, one way or the other!" Chisame sighed and noticeably calmed. "But listen up, if you can't remember. We all worked so hard…Tokiha and the rest trained like mad so they could help you…they all assisted your trip to the magical world." She withdrew her hand and pointed at the ground. "All so they could bring you back _here_. To Mahora Academy. To the daily life we have here. So you could do stupid things with your friends or think about who you like. So the most important thing on your mind would be whether you would confess or not. That sort of pointless, daily life. That was the reason…you know that, don't you? But even if you've been in class…you haven't really been back to that daily life. You've gone back over to _that_ side. And you're taking Tokiha with you. She can't hit you anymore, so I have to. It's up to me to do it and make you realize that stuff. Where you belong. What, exactly, you're going all out to protect."

Kain stared at Chisame. "That's all very well to say. You're saying I should abandon those worlds and dive back into this world, ignoring everything else? Pretend to be a normal teen? What's the rush?"

"I'll return that question to you. The crisis is real enough, what you're trying to stop…but it's still 100 years away, right? What's the rush?"

Kain smiled and shook his head. "Believe it or not, it's not me, Chisame. It's not my choice."

Chisame's expression turned quizzical and doubtful. "Really? Then who's is it?"

"It's mine, Chisame- _chan_."

Chisame whirled around, staring at the new intruder who approached her from behind. "Tokiha! What're you…!?"

"I told Kain I wasn't going to get involved in this nonsense," Mai sighed. "But if that's your concern, let me set the record straight, at least." She put a hand to her chest. "There's no getting around it. For all of Kain's brilliant ideas, the salvation of this world still hinges on one person…me. I have to do this. It's my destiny. And I'm prepared to do it. Kain has too much to do…and we all do." She smiled rather beatifically. "Well, if you're so concerned about Kain, though, shouldn't you just be honest with yourself instead of making excuses?"

"H-huh? Honest? What are you talking about…?"

"Well, loner Chisame- _chan_ so concerned for our sake…why don't you just admit it? Why don't you just confess to Kain- _sensei_ , admit your actual feelings for him?"

"C-confess…! Tokiha, what are you talking about!? I'm not…!"

"You can deny it, but why is a loner like Chisame- _chan_ so concerned about us, then? Why does it matter to you if Kain's available in class or after school, if he's enjoying his life or confessing to girls or not?"

"W-why you…! Listen here, I'm not going to sit and just take this…!"

Kain smirked at the scene, made a little gesture to Mai, whispered a quick 'thanks' (but with an exaggerated and visible mouthing), and vanished once again.

8-8-8

The girls gathered around Risa as she knelt on the ground—employing her artifact.

The Deck of Mysteries was her artifact, and one that, like many of the others, was perfectly suited for Risa Harada. As a member of the Fortune Telling Club and a girl obsessed with fortunes and all things occult, she now had her own magical divination tool and was thrilled to have such an opportunity to use it.

She laid out the cards, murmuring as she began to turn them over, reposition them—a ritual that mystified the girls around her. "Is this really necessary?" Riza demanded.

"We have no idea if the artifact really works like that, or it's just necessary psychologically for her," pointed out Miki.

"Shhh!" Riku insisted.

"There," Risa murmured. "I've got it! Kain- _sensei_ …is located at the World Tree Plaza…hmm…."

"At the World Tree?" Kaoru wondered. "How odd…why would he wait in such a central, exposed place…?"

"Perhaps he's waiting for us," Kanade offered. "He's challenging us! Well, we'll have to answer this challenge…."

"Oh!" They fell silent and turned to Risa after her sudden exclamation. "Really…." She turned to glance slyly at her classmates behind her, the slight smile on her face. "It seems…Kain- _sensei_ 's heart is troubled…because there _is_ a girl that occupies his heart, more than all the others…."

"What!? Who!? Who!? Who!?" The girls gathered around in breathless excitement, crowded in on the fortune teller.

"I-I can't see that…for some reason, it won't tell me…."

"Well, this is still important information!" Kanade declared. "Now, we have a new objective, too: we're going to find out who is Kain- _sensei_ 's special someone!" She turned to address the rest of her class more directly. "Kain- _sensei_ has stolen the lips and hearts of so many girls in our class! He has tread upon their maiden's sensibilities and made them face such heartache and anguish! Now, we have no choice! Kain- _sensei_ must reveal his heart to us, so that we can settle this philosophical conundrum! Now, are we decided!?"

Nineteen girls stared back, mixed expressions on their faces, but mostly resolution in their eyes.

8-8-8

Kain gazed up at the World Tree again. Even now he could feel the drifting currents of power aligning here…he had time. He didn't need to rush. But it was her decision…joy and heartache awaited on either side, but….

Well, he had to put that off for now. He smiled slightly as he turned towards the approaching figures. The final stage of the game was coming….

An arrow, laden with spiritual energy, came streaking in. Its power worked against his barrier as he raised it, but his power won out and repulsed the missile. "So you're going to start, Kagome? What extraordinary wish do you have?"

Kagome nocked another arrow and pointed her bow Kain's way. "Well, I don't have anything I really want for myself…but this is for the sake of our class. And…I'd like you to finally make a decision about which girl you really want, and express that to us…."

"You're really insistent, huh?" Kain asked. "But what if the girl I choose isn't the one you're rooting for…?"

"Oh…so you do have a girl in mind, huh? Risa- _chan_ wasn't just making stuff up…interesting…."

"Risa…of course. If you want to know, between her and Nodoka, you should be able to find out, right? But…maybe I'm stopping that myself, if only subconsciously. Well, come on then…I know you're not alone…."

"Damn right she isn't!"

Inuyasha came dropping down from above, swinging. Kain reached up and caught the massive sword with his bare hand. "Inuyasha, of course. The boys have to do for their girls, right?"

"I-I'm not his…!" Kagome insisted.

"I don't know what you're saying, but it sounds insulting," Inuyasha growled. "I'm just aching for a chance to show a big shot like you what I'm capable of!"

"If you say so," Kain murmured, and threw Inuyasha away. "But it's still going to take more than that…what else?"

A huge stone statue came thundering down, wielding a massive stone…book. "Oh, one of the statues from the gate," Kain remarked as he dodged. "That must be Izumi's artifact. And…."

A shining ball of light, twinkling some kind of musical melody, came streaking in. It fired a beam of light that connected with the statue…and the great stone humanshape began to move even more swiftly, pursuing Kain with more ferocity, and the spirit itself began to rain bolts of energy his way. "Go! Capture Kain- _sensei_ , Io!" Kazumi commanded him.

Kain smirked and gestured, and energy exploded out, repulsing the pair and sending them flying off-camera. Then there was a flash of gold, and Erika was streaking in, mana wrapped around her hand. "Even you, _Fukukaichô_? I didn't know you were into this…."

"This is for the sake of our class!" Erika insisted. "It may be a stupid competition, but it's official, and I'm not going to lose because of some reason like that." As Kain pulled back from her attack, she set herself to charge in again, and added, "And, also…this is to settle the unrest of the class…the trouble in their hearts…!"

She started to dash in again, but Kain preempted her, moving in first, rushing his face in very close to hers. "Really? Does that include your heart?" As Erika balked, Kain suddenly zipped past her with a gesture. A portal opened where he had just stood, pulling her in; after it closed, a second portal opened some distance away and spat Erika back out. She hit the ground roughly but on her feet, and recovered swiftly.

Kain alighted back by the tree and turned about. "Come on, now…let's just take a moment to assess the situation before continuing. Who's here for this game?"

They appeared or came out of hiding around him…Kazumi and Yukari, Erika and Hinagiku, Risa and Riku, Kanade and Kaoru, Nodoka, Yue and Ami, Riza, Miki and Izumi, Akari and Kiami, Kagome, Chisame, Nanami, and Miyu, with Inuyasha, Kenjirô, Hikaru, and Delryn on hand as well. Kain gazed at them all. "Well…what a formidable force. All of you want me so badly. Who are we missing? Mai and Momo refused to take part…Oga- _san_ is the only normal person left in our class. Rei doesn't seem to care about this. I'm glad Nagato- _san_ isn't interested, either…she'd actually be the most troublesome for me. Alyssa's just getting everyone else to do her dirty work. Caria has no interest in anything other than her machines. And Rakasu…."

"Rakasu- _chan_ isn't suited to helping with this, but she gave us her blessing to continue!" Kanade insisted. "So, it's come to this! We'll take the points and the prize, and we'll finally have you reveal your perverted man's thoughts to us!"

"Is that so?" Kain asked softly, smiling. "Well, then…let's get on with it."

Akari and Kiami came in first, with Hikaru, Delryn, and Kenjirô right behind them. Kain dodged and danced, fending off fists, weapons and swords with his bare hands. As they intensified their attacks, Kain called on his _kanka_ to repulse them. Delryn and Kenjirô pressed in harder with a simultaneous attack, and Kain raised a barrier to block the strikes. Kagome fired an arrow, which hit the barrier, flashed, and neutralized it. Inuyasha came down the middle towards him as the other two swordsmen attacked, and Kain whirled, sweeping all three out of the way with a sudden wave of power.

Ami released the power of her spear, shrouding the field in fog. As his enemies vanished before his eyes, Miyu came streaking in. Her anti-magic blade warred with his powers, and he upped his _kanka_ in response…and Hinagiku came in behind him, her own sword flashing with power. His _kanka_ vanished as the tip caressed his clothing.

"You two, huh? More unexpected than the rest," he commented as he leapt up in response to their more concentrated, deadly attacks.

"Alyssa- _sama_ has commanded me to assist the class," Miyu stated.

"That's right!" Hinagiku added. "This…is all for the class!"

His powers were not so easily destroyed, but these two anti-magic weapons coming in so fiercely prevented him from gathering enough energy to fight them off. Then several more magical bullets came streaking in, flashing again into his magical barriers and constricting his grasp of it.

 _('Riza? How'd she hit me in this fog?')_ His magical senses wafted out and found the answer. _('Ah…Yue's acting as artillery spotter…well done from her….')_

Kagome's arrow flashed in again, further negating the power he was desperately calling, and then they came in again, all en masse. And then the statue suddenly appeared again, and the wisp Io with it, on either side of him…and that thread, that tether of energy that Io created to bind the pair, lanced through him, doing no actual damage but freezing him in place. Then the attacks landed.

The dust cleared, and Kain was there, lying on the ground, several swords in his face. Those who could cast the most reliable, powerful spells—Yue, Erika, Hinagiku, Kagome and Ami—were using magic to bind him. The others looked on, amazed that the young man was down and…contained.

"Well! Here we are!" Kanade said cheerfully. "We've done it! Now, first business is the borrowing…."

"O-only one of us can really win, even if it's a win for our class!" insisted Kaoru. "So, we all did it together…who wins?"

"Oh, that's easy!" Kanade replied. "What we will borrow is this!" She held out a paper, with 'Name of your Beloved' written on it (in Japanese, of course). "We'll have you tell us now, Kain- _sensei_! And then that person will get to be the _official_ winner…whoever gets that prize you promised, right, _Sensei_? So, will you cooperate?"

Kain stared at her. His face was calm, almost inhumanly emotionless…similar to Miyu's, Rei's, and Yuki's under most circumstances. "I cannot tell you anything about that," he said simply.

"So, still playing tough guy, huh? That's okay, we'll get it out of you! _Honya-chan_!"

Nodoka stepped slowly forward, timidly, fearfully, nervously. "I-I'm really, truly sorry about this, Kain- _sensei_ …I'm really sorry, but…can you tell us…who it is…that you care about the most?"

She looked down at her book. The impatient girls crowded around. "Well!? What does it say!?"

"I-it doesn't say anything," Nodoka murmured. "I-it's…it's blank…."

"That isn't right," Ami muttered. "There's nothing that's been able to resist Nodoka's power to read their minds…even if it's Kain- _sensei_ …."

"That's not fair!" Risa insisted. "What can we do, then!?"

"I guess it's up to me!" Kanade said again, smugly. "Time for my artifact to work!"

"Your artifact?" Riku demanded. "Yes, I've never seen it before…you actually have a useful one?"

"Of course!" She held up her card triumphantly. "Surprise!" she commanded it. It transformed into a crown, a golden diadem. "Ta-da! The Golden Lazo! Anyone who wears this crown is compelled to tell the truth!"

She placed it upon Kain's head. "Now Kain- _sensei_ …tell us the truth! Who is it that is most important to you?"

A slight tension in the atmosphere rose. "I…I…" Kain murmured. Silence followed.

"Kain- _sensei_ is strong, and resistant to magic," Erika advised her. "I believe the power of the artifact will increase if you ask him again."

"Hmm, nice, Eririn! Let's do it! Again, Kain- _sensei_ : who is the girl most precious in your heart?"

"I…I…." Again, silence followed.

"One more time," Erika insisted. "It must work by the third time."

"All right, then; one more time! Kain- _sensei_ : who is the one…?"

Yue, Nodoka, and Ami were staring with all the rest. The briefest of glances between them were shared…and they leapt into action.

"Shabon Spray Freezing!"

An incredibly violent blast of thick cold mist washed out and over them, obscuring all sight. Yue barked out a spell, and all the figures around Kain were likewise blown away. An instant later the three girls were some distance from them, the limp Kain held between Ami and Yue, with Nodoka extending her book towards them. Kanade's diadem rolled on the ground with a tinny sound before coming to a rest.

"W-we're sorry, everyone!" Nodoka said. "K-Kain- _sensei_ doesn't want this, either! It's best not to force him! That's why…." And the three took off.

"They're running!" yelped Kaoru.

"They betrayed us!" roared Kanade.

"After them already!" Miki insisted.

They all stopped and stared at her. "What?" she said.

"And why are _you_ giving the orders?" Erika demanded.

"Well, it's not like I can actually do any of the physical stuff! Just go already!"

8-8-8

They ran along, all of them using their contracts to the fullest, Nodoka reading rapidly from her diary, giving locations and positions of their pursuers. While those pursuers muttered about the difficulties of dealing with mind-readers, the hunted lamented the lack of a better immediate plan than 'running'.

"Over here! This way!"

They paused and glanced over. "Momo- _san_!?"

They followed her into the alley. "Kain- _sensei_ told us not to interfere if we weren't going to join in," she sighed. "But I think things have gone far enough." Momo glanced over at Kain, who appeared dazed and out of it. "Odd…I thought he might be asking for a bit much trouble, but to be taken out so easily…."

"E-easily?" Nodoka murmured. "But…it took everyone…."

"We can't stop yet." Yue pointed up at one of Miki's SpyBots. "They can track us wherever we go."

"Well…maybe not. Keep up with me!" Momo insisted.

They followed her, past all the buildings and then back out to the wilderness area on the western side of the school. Momo slowed and drew her sword. "What are you planning?" Ami asked.

"If I take him to Soul Society, they can't pursue him…we'll just wait this out until the stupid game ends," Momo replied.

"Ah, they couldn't follow, true…" Yue murmured. "But can Kain- _sensei_ , a being of magic, exist on that side?"

"Well, Urahara- _san_ and Kalan- _san_ both developed techniques to turn humans into _reishi_ so they could cross over," Momo said. She removed a small remote control-like object from her robe. "And Kamo- _kun_ was able to exist…Kain- _sensei_ is something different now, closer to Kamo- _kun_ , but with this device Urahara- _san_ gave me, he should make the transition fine. I don't have any better ideas." She put her sword into the air, where it disappeared, and twisted it, intoning, "Unlock." The doors appeared, and began to open. "And now…."

Then she suddenly vanished. And then Delryn, Kiami, and Hinagiku appeared. The library trio backed up in fright and surprise. "W-what…h-how…!?"

"We have an artifact that makes people 'not exist'," Delryn pointed out.

"And if we don't exist, you can't read our minds," Kiami continued.

"Now, hand Kain- _sensei_ over!" Hinagiku insisted. "I-it's time we put a stop to all of this!"

More of their fellow classmates began to appear around them, surrounding them, and the three crowded, protectively encompassing Kain, who was still rather comatose. In fact, he had been periodically muttering, "I…I…" ever since they had escaped with him.

"We don't know why you suddenly decided to betray us," Miki said. "But you can't win, not just you three. Why don't you give in? You were all for it before…."

"I-it just isn't right!" Nodoka insisted. "Kain- _sensei_ …what about his feelings!?"

"We do care for him…we care about whom he likes," Yue said. "But this isn't the way to go about it! It will only alienate him, and unnecessarily complicate his emotions and feelings!"

"And ours have been complicated by him," Hinagiku insisted. "Now, we'll get to the bottom of it all!"

A sudden chuckle brought them all up short. "Indeed…I guess it is the endgame, although you are all clueless as to the why."

The opened portal to the Seireitei took this moment to close as Alyssa came walking up from the opposite side, Yuki next to her. She smirked at the collection. "Really, _Honya_ , Yuecchi…Ami- _chan_ too, but mostly just the two of you. You're that desperate to protect the boy? That afraid to know the truth about his heart?"

"W-what are you talking about!?" Yue insisted. "W-we told you...!"

"No, no…you timid bookworms were going along with the flow, because you were afraid…and now you're rebelling, because you're afraid. Not of being turned down…you'd be able to bear that, you feel that your friendship could be maintained or even strengthened if that were the case. But what…if he were to choose one of you…? You're afraid that this would shatter your friendship, aren't you…?"

"W-what!? No!" Yue insisted. "I-I mean, I haven't even admitted that I care for him that way, I-I haven't confessed or done anything, I-I can't possibly think that he even looks at me like…!"

"Well, it's been a fun game, but it's all pointless anyway," Alyssa broke in with a sigh. "What you have there isn't even Kain- _sensei_ to begin with."

The group stared at her for many shocked, silent seconds. "Eh? Come again?"

Then the comatose Kain broke the silence fully. "I…I'm just…a clone…." And then he disappeared into a puff of magical smoke.

There was a brief, slow clapping sound, and Kain began to approach from behind Alyssa. Everyone turned and focused on Kain, who was striding forward, bringing his hands together in a rhythmic applause. "You're the only one who saw, Alyssa. No, you didn't, did you?" He smiled at Yuki. "You told her, didn't you, Nagato- _san_?" He didn't wait for Yuki to nod in reply before focusing on the great party again. "Well, that was interesting, and fun, in its own way. You guys are all pretty good, and you did well together, neutralizing my clone…even if it only had a fraction of my power."

Everyone had become visible again or been removed from whatever places they had been kidnapped to, and they were all there at the scene now, including Momo. He glanced around at them. "But, of course, it wasn't enough," Kain continued. "I'm sure Alyssa was at least partially responsible for this fiasco, filling your heads with silly ideas. But it was all pointless. I made an easy promise I knew would never need to be broken, but the game and the nonsense end here. I appreciate your sentiments, the damage I've done to your 'poor maiden hearts'. But right now I'm still your teacher, and I still have duties to perform apart from that. That will all change—all of it will change—about six months from now, when you graduate from middle school. Then it will all be settled. I waited ten years just to see my father's face for the second time. You can wait at least a few months for your questions to be answered…right?" He glanced around at them.

"Oh, as if!" Riza insisted. "The game's still going on! We got your clone, we'll get you too…!"

Kain smirked. "I don't think so."

He snapped his fingers, and the world exploded.

Alyssa and Yuki slipped away before the attack fell, and Momo, Yue, Nodoka and Ami were untouched by the attack, but they saw the blinding, brilliant light as it went off. The rest of them felt the titanic weight, power more massive and incredible than anything they had ever before conceived, slamming them and smashing them into the ground. Power that obviously meant certain death was already come to them….

And then it was gone. They were all lying on the ground, flattened by the power. They slowly, carefully, timidly began to pick themselves up. There was no mark on them. Their clothes and gear were unharmed. The terrain around them, which must have been punished by that same nuclear strike, was unmarred and pristine. There was no sign that anything had happened…except for the residual, fading magical nimbus that was trickling away. "W-what was that…?" Izumi muttered. "One of t-those magical illusions…?"

 _('No,')_ Yue thought, frozen stiff in shock and terror. _('No illusion. That was a real, physical spell. It was power greater than anything I'd seen, power enough to level the city…and yet just prior to releasing it, he shielded and empowered the entire area, every one of us and the terrain, too, with enough force to withstand the blast. Power on that scale…and the mind to do it…normally, only a madman would even attempt it. Only a madman would risk such an extravagant doublecast, since one misstep would mean certain death for any one of us. He would have to be heartless or insane to take such a risk. But…in his case…it was simply a perfect understanding of his abilities. For him, it was as easy as that snapping of his fingers….')_

"It was no illusion," Kain confirmed Yue's suspicions. "That was my real power. You guys are all strong…really. In normal circumstances, you'd be powerful enough to take just about anyone if you could work together like that. But I'm too far beyond that. I've paid quite a price to get there, but that's where I am. You never stood a chance. So, I'm not going to bully you anymore—let's just move past this point, end the game, and move on. Tomorrow is our play…I hope you guys can perform well for us."

Then he strode forward, past the stunned girls and over to Yue, Nodoka, and Ami, who gazed up at him in fear and wonder. He nodded at Momo, standing rigid nearby. "Thanks for the attempted help, Momo. I do appreciate your reasonableness in all this." Then he leaned in closer to the trio. "And thanks to you three, as well. I'm happy that you felt concerned for my sake, and made the right choice at the end. Yue…Nodoka." He smiled and placed his hands on their heads. "If there's something you ever want to talk to me about…I'm always willing to listen." Then he turned and started walking away. As he moved past them and it was clear none of them felt like pursuing their, well, pursuit of him, he finally teleported off.

8-8-8

He reappeared on the roof that had become his casual place to flee…and Mai was waiting for him. "You really are something else," she sighed. "Are you sure you didn't go overboard there?"

Kain shrugged. "Personally, I think _they_ went overboard," he replied. "I was just trying to put a stop to it before it got worse…there was no need for those three to suffer for having a prick of conscience." He smiled.

"Really, though," Mai insisted, walking up to him. "I…guess I'm relieved it's over. I was worried there for a second…when you said you almost hoped one of them would win, well…no, never mind."

"Heh. So, what did Alyssa say?"

Mai started. "W-what do you mean?" She looked away and played with her errant bangs.

"Don't kid me, Mai. I know she was telling them something to encourage them to go after me so hard. I figured magic alone would be enough of a distraction to get them through the second and maybe even third term, but…they were eager to investigate my male feelings. What was it?"

Mai sighed and tried to ask the question without thinking too much about it. She was unsuccessful, and flushed. "Do you…have any…demonic appetites…?"

Kain stared at her. "Demonic appetites…because of my new heart? Maybe…why? What did she say?"

"She said…that most demons…devour…the seven deadly sins. She checked them off and told us that yours was…that you were…that _Lust_ was part of your Infernal…nature…."

Kain's stare continued, silent, stoic for several long seconds. Mai finally looked at him nervously. "K-Kain…?"

Kain suddenly burst out laughing, leaning forward, gripping his sides. "Of course," he finally gasped. "Of course she would. That little girl…I should probably _try_ to figure out a way to punish her, but I'm afraid to. If I try to be demonic about it, I might go too far…as a human, I don't have the heart or courage." He sighed, held the rest in, and wiped at his eyes. "Well, she isn't wrong…I would guess that 'Lust' is part of the nature of any red-blooded teenage man, what with our hormones and all. Men in general seem to be obsessed with it. For several reasons I've always tried to reign it in, but…I'm sure she said something about me being surrounded by so many girls my age. And she wouldn't be wrong. I can't say that the thought that I was rooming not far from so many desirable girls, in the same building, wasn't a strong temptation, and maybe only fear kept me in line. But the truth is that it's not in my nature to actually try playing with so many hearts on purpose…I have no desire to go the harem route. No, while my 'Lust' might be strong, it's not my Infernal sin, or whatever you want to call it. Alyssa is a demon herself, and delights in misinformation. They are the most famous, maybe the most common, but there are other sins than the seven, you know. Mine is what has always dictated most of my actions—Fear."

As Mai stared at him in fascination, he continued, "It was fear that has been my constant, near companion for all my life. As I hinted at, fear is the reason for my morality, despite it being my sin…largely, I've always done the right thing because my morality is fear-based. I'm afraid of doing wrong, or worse, I'm just afraid of getting caught. Do you know why I really, _really_ pushed you away so hard at first? Because I was afraid of you getting hurt, and it being my fault. The same with trying to keep the rest of them out of it. It's the reason I was poisoned by Kagome's healing magic when we were scattered across the magic world. The reason I almost failed the test Aiden put on me. The very reason I couldn't defeat my father, the Obsidian Prince, even when he was so weakened. I was afraid. It's the reason I'm grateful, now, to be demonic…because as a demon I can set aside the Fear and act according to my reason and true desires, and not out of fear. Of course, it does come with problems…that 'Fear' has become my ambrosia, and it can intoxicate me. Maybe that's the real reason I participated in this nonsense. The fear that came off of them…is rather invigorating." He shuddered. "Sorry…I must be pretty frightening to you, right now, too. I am still trying to control it all. In time I'll get better…especially if Alyssa keeps from provoking the class."

Mai stared carefully at Kain as he drifted off to silence. "Well…I actually feel better. The demonic part of you…is a little terrifying, but what you told me is comforting in a lot of ways. For one thing, it's actually a relief to know that you _do_ have an interest in girls like us. I have to admit, while I think they were going overboard, it was rather difficult on our female egos to think that we weren't getting any attention from you." As Kain shot her a curious, exasperated look, she continued, looking away to hide her blush, "But it's also comforting to know you won't suddenly lose control and turn into a wild monster in heat or something. The demonic part of you…we've seen the change. But you are…keeping it in check, mostly. You are still you, even so." She looked back at him and smiled wide. "They did this because they really care about you, Kain…all of us do. We wouldn't trade you for anything. They all just want more attention from you…some want it more than others…and while we're still a class together, we have to make memories."

Kain nodded. "Yeah…I know. So, hopefully we'll all be able to move past this." He stretched. "It's getting late…I think I hear Iori starting to announce the overall winners of today's competitions. Today's over…tomorrow, we should be able to enjoy the play, and then the next day…I know I'm going to have a busy time entertaining everyone at the Festival." He smirked almost sadly. "They'll insist on it."

"Oh, c'mon, enjoy the harem for one day, you playboy," Mai said with a mock sigh, smirking at him. "Let's go…you can help mend the minds you broke by being there to celebrate and mourn with the class over our failures and successes."

Kain smiled. "Right. Let's go."

F I N

 _Author's Note: Demons and Borrowing_

 _As I noted last chapter, this stupid borrow game was Negi Canon, and an overlong use of the last several chapters before an abrupt and incomplete wrap-up. After some thought, I decided to keep it, as stupid as it was—yes, the army clubs and more besides were throwing everything at the child teacher, including his own class._

 _Negi has it worse, as he is strangely vulnerable to so many of his class' abilities, including the magic suppression bullets. Finally they capture him with Ako's giant syringe drug-inducer, using a drug that makes all of Negi's senses reverse, and then Chizuru comes out of nowhere with her artifact…a spring onion (a_ 'negi' _) that she, ah, uses on someone as a suppository and it recovers their status from all ailments and such…but also puts them in a state like what Kanade's crown did to Kain, causing them to have to answer questions truthfully (I named it jokingly after Wonder Woman's famous truth-compelling artifact). Then, as shown here, Nodoka and Yue saved him and ran off (in my version, better friend Ami helped, too)._

 _In this, I again kind of hurt myself with my timeline adjustments; by this time, Yue has already confessed to Negi and gotten her memory back, and I'm planning to have this event be somewhat later; I plan to build around it. As Alyssa mentions here, so Eva pointed out in the original, that the girls were afraid that one of them might be the chosen one and didn't want their friendship hurt…ah, these girls are so difficult. That's a harder thought to imagine since Yue is still unsure of her own feelings and such, still having memory loss, so it is slightly more cumbersome if you think about it in depth, but it probably is a lot smaller deal than I tend to make of it._

 _They eventually resolved this with Hakase suddenly appearing with the book of Negi's lineage that Chao brought from the future (supposedly)…and it was blank, showing that Negi's destiny had changed and was not yet written, and they all still had equal chance in his heart (really, all this was even more horrible since they were all after Negi, just a 10-year-old boy with no idea about romance or feelings regardless of his extreme intellect or power). Kain resolves this himself…sorry, but he is more über than Negi, in many ways. Largely because of what the demon has done to him._

 _And for some reason, I just had to focus on this demon part of him, and it's the whole reason I decided to keep this nonsensical crazy 'borrowing' event. Alyssa's teasings about Kain's apparent 'Lust', and how 'Fear' is really his nature. This concept of True Demons is something I've evolved for my stories over years from various games, movies, books, anime, and more, and Kain's part of that world now…for good or ill. Could he ever become fully human again? Not really, especially since he's already been made mostly magic, and he wouldn't want to…because of his fear, really. But it's okay. He'll handle it, and he'll use it right, just as he did to defeat the Obsidian Prince. It's something that he can use to overcome his overly-timid and naïve human sentiments when he needs to._

 _So, one more chapter for this big Festival; the play is coming! And then, some Festival dates and other things…._


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: This is a nonprofit fictional story, a FanFiction based on Ken Akamatsu's Negima. I do not own Negima, or most of the other characters included in this work, excepting where it is stated in the author's notes. It is not intended or presented for any commercial profit or personal gain; it is simply a story written for personal fulfillment and presented for public enjoyment, and as an honest homage to the fine story conceived and written by Ken Akamatsu, as well as all the other (innumerable) works that find place herein (and their authors).

Chapter Five: Escargot Pudding ~Magical Mayhem~

"Costumes, check…as expected of Chisame," Kain noted. "They're very high quality…even if little else of this play is."

"Ah…that sounds unusually harsh…if true."

The class was as busy as a hive of bees early Thursday morning, setting up the stage for their play. Kain overlooked the activity, but turned to Yue as she approached with Nodoka and Ami.

He smiled at them. "Well…you three are just background village girls, but your dresses are extraordinary. High-quality product in high-quality wrapping…our audiences will still get far more than they pay for."

The three shifted nervously, blushing furiously, put quite off-balance by Kain's flirtatious commentary. Kain continued, freeing them from the discomfort: "Is there anything I can do for you ladies?"

"Ah, well…we were just wondering…about yesterday," Ami put in, recovering most quickly of the three.

"I would have thought everyone wanted to forget about that."

"Well, yes…but there are questions we have," Yue put in. "About the spells at work yesterday…both for and against you; we have questions about our _Mahô Sensei._ All of our artifacts, which should have operated against you perfectly well, left us dealing with your clone. We were wondering…how such a thing was possible. Is it…because of what you are, or your nature as our master…or…."

Kain chuckled. "Yes…Nodoka's book, Kanade's crown, Risa's cards…all should have been able to reveal everything about me, and me, not my clone. They've never failed before; Nodoka's been able to read my mind before, and had no trouble even with the greatest of the Obsidian Star. Kanade and Risa are less experienced, but their artifacts are still very powerful. None of them failed—I simply outfoxed them. I know all of you quite well, and I knew just what I was facing yesterday. I created a magical simulacrum and specifically enchanted it to be the recipient of all divinations aimed at me. Seeker spells would find it. It would act, in all circumstances, as a perfect replica, sorry, copy of me. It was my primary insurance against the class' offensive."

"Interesting…but still," Ami insisted, "Risa- _san_ discovered…that you have one girl most prominently in your heart, and yet…none of those divinations were able to find out who that girl was…."

Kain's laugh was even longer, deeper. "Well…no wonder. Well, Risa's divinations, aimed at general knowledge about me, would work just fine, but specifically trying to discern my heart…like I said, I knew what you were all capable of and what I was facing. I didn't want my heart probed on that score, so I made certain my clone had one flaw—it had absolutely none of my feelings towards the girls around me in its heart and mind. So, Risa asking a general question: 'Does Kain- _sensei_ have one particular female interest?' would not be interfered with, but direct questions aimed at the Kain clone, trying to read his mind, trying to ask him to admit the truth of this, would be doomed to failure, because that Kain didn't have anything of the sort in him."

The three stared in renewed awe. "So amazing…" Nodoka murmured. "As expected of Kain- _sensei_ …but still…that does mean that it's true, right? That Kain- _sensei_ …does have a favorite…."

Kain turned away. "Well…maybe I've said too much. Now, shall we get to the play?"

8-8-8

Even Kain could not grasp off-hand just how momentous the power working on the worlds was.

It's only to be expected. Even with Kain's intellect and expanding magical awareness, he could not fully understand all of the intricacies of the magical influences of seven worlds he had only recently come to know even existed.

But seven worlds of magic…seven worlds with thousands of years of history. Magical wars, clashes between mages, racial struggles, spirits and monsters doing battle. Volumes of epics, romances and histories could be written about them…but, at least at this moment, they are not integral to this story.

However, there is one small remnant of a tale that now becomes important….

Threats to humanity, demonic forces, sealed away between worlds and forgotten for thousands of years….

8-8-8

Kain felt a strange pulse, a tremor. It was the briefest of sensations, and then it vanished, seeming almost as if it were just an errant thought, but that very transience of the feeling was what attracted his attention. He turned his gaze away from the stage as the girls made ready to begin, more out of a way to focus his mind rather than actually looking for something he couldn't see, but Nanami, standing near him in the wings, noticed his sudden reaction. "Kain- _sensei_? Is something wrong?"

"I'm not sure," Kain admitted. "I think I better go check it out. I'm not sure how long I'll be gone. All of you do your best, okay?" He made a waving motion at her, and then vanished.

"W-wha!? Kain- _sensei_!" Nanami insisted, and then sighed. "Well, really…how are we supposed to do our best if our main cheerleader isn't here?"

"Nanami- _san_!" hissed Riku.

It was starting. Nanami, acting, as usual, as narrator for the story, was to open with her descriptions. She turned her attention away from the vanished teacher toward the stage. "Our story begins with a King, a set of Stairs, a Cauldron, and a Mountain…."

8-8-8

Kain appeared at the base of the World Tree. He stared up at it briefly before approaching. His own senses, while impressive, were seemingly not enough to truly discern whatever strangeness had happened; but if there was something here that shouldn't be, the Tree itself should be able to recognize and locate the invaders. He closed his eyes and put a hand to it….

There was some initial resistance, which made Kain wince internally. The Tree recognized his demonic taint and rebutted him for just an instant before he used his magical presence to cajole its spirit, quiet its fears, and cause it to recognize him as, rather, a human, and a gifted, special one. It was something that he had noticed since his return—the most depressing side effect of his new status. Animals and other simpler living organisms that before had been subtly attracted to him were now repulsed in an equal and opposite measure; it was nothing so vile, noticeable or extreme as grass wilting at his feet passed or flocks of birds scattering from the streets when he came out of a building, but there was just the slightest undercurrent of distrust and wariness in their natural instincts. As it did for the tree, suppressing his natural _maki_ , demonic energy, and instead releasing more of his natural mana swiftly ameliorated their sentiments, but in his natural state, he was no longer a friend or revered companion of the natural world.

He put the thoughts out of his mind and let the Tree's senses guide him. Yes—invaders. Ancient, potentially very dangerous, numerous, but as of yet disoriented and weak. He recognized that these demonic spirits had burst forth into this world from a prison that had sealed them for thousands of years…he realized this side effect of the joining worlds. It would probably not be the last small problem to arise….

But while small, they were certainly a problem. They likely had too little power to directly harm any students, but they could affect the world to a degree, cause mischief and that perhaps quite unintentionally simply through their disoriented blunderings in this new world they had discovered. He had better deal with them now, before they caused any havoc and before they became a threat….

He let his searchings end and turned to regard the group that had all gathered behind him. "Kenjirô…Kaji- _kun_ …Del…Hikaru…even Inuyasha. You guys all came fast. Did you sense it, too?"

"I haven't sensed anything," Kenjirô replied. "Except you, popping up over here with some urgency. Considering your dedication to your class, I could only think that something serious would get you to abandon their silly play. And coming to check it out was a great excuse to duck out of our class, even if I couldn't admit the real reason."

"I think that's pretty much it for all of us," Kajirô agreed. "Well, I don't know about the desire to skip out on our class activities, but we felt you stirring suddenly and decided to see what the matter was."

"I do smell something odd," Inuyasha muttered. "Of course, I've been smelling odd things since I came to this crazy world. But since you're suddenly running about, it's obviously not just my imagination or anything."

"Spill it already," Delryn insisted. "It was getting kind of boring, apart from that…fiasco yesterday, but this seems promising…."

Kain's lip quirked up in a half-smile. "Well, it might be interesting…and I might like your help." He gave a brief rundown of the situation as he understood it.

"Demonic invaders?" Hikaru murmured. "Well, that is interesting. We shall certainly do our best to track them all down before they do anything too troublesome."

"It'd be best to get started," Kajirô put in. "I have a feeling that these kinds of events might become more and more common…we mages might need to look into building teams or units specifically for dealing with these kinds of crises."

"That's a thought," Kain admitted. "But for another day. For now, it's this threat that's the priority. Let's split up and see what we can track down." He glanced askew at Kenjirô. "But, before we do, I have to know…what is your class doing that's got you so eager to run away?"

"Some sort of Samurai Cooking performance," Hikaru explained. "Well, we'll be happy to miss as much of it as we can. The class will be disappointed that their primary samurai are absent, but, ah, that's how it goes right now…."

8-8-8

"Our King was not a King yet. First he had to ascend the Stairs of Doom and conquer the Mountains of Despair to find the Cauldron of Devilishness and then throw it onto the Ring of Evil. Thus the Evil was defeated and he was crowned King of the Land."

 _('What kind of a story is this?')_ the audience asks. _('Is this play really going to be four simple sentences with no real actors!? The story's been told! Plus it sounds like an unimaginative plagiarism anyway!')_

Riza finally came onstage, dressed as a middle-aged King. "The King won the heart of the Sleeping Maiden and married her, signed the proper prenuptials, then fathered a beautiful Princess. Unfortunately, the Queen died giving birth to the Princess, and so the King remarried the Wicked Stepmother."

 _('Isn't this story a bit too on the nose with all these descriptions!?')_

"The Wicked Stepmother brainwashed the once-wise King and they raised the Princess as an Orphan that they just happened to adopt and treated her as such, even if she was the actual heir to the Kingdom, and thus the Wicked Stepmother could rule the Kingdom according to her whim! Until, one day…."

The King, after doing much posing, pranced off stage, and a sub-curtain opened to show Kagome in a beautiful pink princess dress, complete with a crown, in the pantomimed action of cleaning the floor of the innards of a castle. "Escargot Pudding!" screeched Miki in her most evil voice as she came onto the stage, dressed in a voluminous black dress. "Escargot Pudding, where are you!?"

"Here, Mother dearest," sighed Escargot Pudding, rising from the floor to address the harpy.

 _('Escargot Pudding!? Did the Wicked Stepmother name her herself!? And why, if she's in a Cinderella situation, is she dressed like an actual princess!?')_

"You have to go to the Old Ruins!" insisted Miki, hereafter the WSM. "Something important has been stolen from me, and I want you to go find it! Go on, now!"

"O-of course…I leave at once!" Escargot Pudding announced, and fled off the stage. The curtain closed on the WSM, smiling evilly.

"And so the Princess Escargot Pudding went on her perilous journey to the Old Ruins, not knowing what would befall her….

 _('Wait!? What was lost!? Is there a plot here!?')_

The curtain opened on some ruins, and into these stalked Escargot Pudding. "The ancient air of life long past stifles me, and the stale smell of forgotten death would almost choke me! These are the Old Ruins, last remnants of a people forgotten even by time and all other things! No one has been able to learn anything of them…perhaps they were placed here by aliens," Kagome announced.

 _('Aliens!? What are aliens doing in a fairy tale!?')_

"Yet even so, I sense that I am not alone," the Princess continued. "I feel a gaze upon me, a presence shadowing me…I feel my safety will surely be forfeit if I linger long in this accursed place…."

"It is a bit much to call it accursed, even so."

Kagome made a beautifully believable start of fright as she whirled on the interrupting voice, and even this increasingly jaded audience was impressed by how Alyssa, dressed in a mesmerizing outfit that would have done justice to the finest China doll, appeared behind the princess. "W-who are you?" she asked in fright.

"I am a Child, of course," Alyssa replied. "I also happen to be a Frog."

Kagome stared. "Pardon?"

The audience agreed with this sentiment. _('She isn't even dressed like a frog…are we supposed to take anything here seriously!?')_

"Well, if a Prince can be a Frog, why can't a Frog be a Princess?" Alyssa countered. "But that does not matter overly much to us. You should not be here, Princess Escargot Pudding. You must return Home, for it is there that your Destiny awaits you."

"What? H-how do you know who I am?"

"Because I'm the wise little Frog-Child-Princess that knows everything. And I know that your Wicked Stepmother sent you here to be rid of you once and for all. You must escape quickly, before you are found by the Prince."

"The Prince?"

"Yes…the noble Prince Lancaster Sandapple, heir to the Sandapple Kingdom! You may think that since you are a Princess and he is a Prince that you must be destined to fall in love and marry, but this is your first mistake! For this Prince is truly your Enemy!"

"E-enemy!?"

 _('What kind of off-the-wall plot twist is this, then!?')_

Suddenly a fine, definitely feminine voice came drifting across the air, from offstage.

"Oh, no!" Alyssa moaned. "That is the Prince himself! You must hide, quickly!"

8-8-8

Kain dashed away from the pool, striking his hands together in triumph. "Well, that one's taken care of. Good thing I caught up to that demon quickly—no telling what kind of mischief it could have gotten up to with the Swimming Club…might have turned into something like To Love Ru…."

"You're keeping busy with them, huh?" Kain glanced over as Kenjirô and Kajirô approached. "We've taken care of a bunch, too. I gotta say, this is a lot more interesting than dealing with the confessions at the summer Festival," Kenjirô noted.

"Agreed," Kajirô said. "How are we doing?"

"I think we've got most of them," Kain replied. "We might get through this with a minimum of fuss, and I might even get to go back and finish watching the end of my class' play…."

There was a sudden roar and explosion off in the distance. They whirled that direction. "Oh, no…" Kajirô moaned as three large creatures rose into sight out of a building that direction, breaking it into pieces.

"What's that?" Kain demanded. "Where are those coming from?"

"That's one of our food storage units. I guess a trio of demons that can feed off of regular human food found it…they're separating!"

Kain watched them split off in separate directions…and noted one in particular. "We'll have to split up here…."

8-8-8

Kagome stared at the Prince from her place of hiding as Hinagiku came almost strutting along the path—looking so marvelous that even the cynical audience had no mental retorts for the scene at this time. "Oh, dashing Prince of Sandapple Kingdom! Are you the one who is to be the love of my life? The Prince who will take this Princess? Should that be the case, I would feel that these trials and indignities I've suffered to come here would be diminished in importance, indeed, they would be made light as the air itself…."

"Oi, I told you, didn't I?" Alyssa insisted from next to her. "He's our enemy! Enemy! By order of the Queen, your Wicked Stepmother, he's trying to kill you!"

 _('What's with this story, though?')_ the audience thought, finally returning to their cynicism. _('It's like the writer just built something out a random draw of cards from 'Once Upon a Time' or something!')_

Hinagiku stopped suddenly. "Why, what is this?" she murmured. She drew the sword at her waist with a flourish. "You, there! You must be the Princess hiding there, the one I have been sent to kill! Come out here at once, that I may split you on my blade!"

To the surprise of the audience and apparently even Alyssa, Kagome leapt out from her hiding place and fell to her knees to supplicate the Prince. "Oh, noble Prince, please spare my life! I know that it cannot really be in your heart to hurt a maiden such as I!"

A voice responded to her...probably from just behind the terrain props, but ostensibly from the sword in Hinagiku's hands; it even shook slightly as the voice chuckled in Izumi's soprano. "Hoho…you are right…the Prince himself couldn't possibly do anything to an innocent Princess; but I can!"

Kagome gasped. "W-what is this!? This sword…talks!"

"That's right! I am a Cursed Sword given to the Prince by the Wicked Queen, in order to ensure your demise! Now…."

Suddenly there was a small explosion…and a malformed creature dropped into the midst of the stunned actors. It rose up, a monster that resembled a cross between a huge flower and a jellyfish. A few tentacles waved vaguely in the air as it curiously looked around the big chamber.

It sprang aside with remarkable agility as a second shape came dropping in on top of it. Inuyasha stood up, glancing over at the monster. "Heh. Here you are." He reached down for his sword.

Kagome broke from her stunned trance first and hissed, " _Osuwari_!" Inuyasha collapsed to the ground with a cry of surprise. Ignoring him, Kagome dramatically put a hand to her chest and pointed the other towards the monster. "Oh, how terrible! It's another monster sent by the Wicked Queen! The Demon that is the source of the Curse on the Prince!" Then she turned to gesture at Inuyasha, who was glaring at her from the ground. "But the heroic warrior, Inuyasha, has arrived to aid us! Let us all three combine our forces against this demon and destroy it!"

"Kagome? What are you talking about?" Inuyasha muttered.

"W-what are you planning!?" Hinagiku hissed.

"Please, just go along with it!" Kagome hissed back. "We have to keep our cover while we deal with this thing!"

"I think you'd better just play along, and deal with that thing quickly," Alyssa pointed out. "Things could get dangerous if you wait any longer."

Indeed, the demon had decided to act, and was thrashing out tentacles towards the audience. Before they struck the dumbfounded onlookers, they were suddenly repulsed by a shield that flashed briefly into view.

 _('A magic shield!?')_ Kagome thought as she numbly tried to suppress her shock and fears. _('Who…!? …Well, obviously, it doesn't matter. Let's get this done….')_ She regained her composure and again gestured dramatically towards the monster. "Now, Inuyasha, _without your sword_ , please strike down the Demon! Noble Prince Lancaster Sandapple, please aid him."

Inuyasha grumped as he made it to his feet. "I don't get it, but fine…all I wanted was to get this thing anyway!"

Hinagiku sighed and tossed away her prop sword. "W-well, honestly, I never liked that evil sword anyway!" she attempted in her own best dramatic voice. "The demon's appearance has broken it's spell over me, and I am free to fight…with this sword!" And she summoned Shirozakura and leapt in after Inuyasha.

Inuyasha's 'Iron Reaver' and Hinagiku's sword connected, slashing the monster to pieces.

"Great job," Alyssa muttered to Kagome as the two warriors looked over their handiwork. "You made that crisis seem like part of the play, but how are we going to adlib the rest of the story from here?"

"Now!" Kagome declared, either ignoring Alyssa or taking a cue from her questioning. "Let us return to the Castle, so that we can defeat the Wicked Queen and free my father, the King, from her Evil Spell!"

At the back of the theater, unnoticed, Kain lowered his hand and smiled, releasing his spell. A minor crisis averted…in a way, just another usual day at Mahora Academy….

8-8-8

Delryn, Hikaru, Kenjirô and Kajirô tracked down and defeated the rest of the demons that were running amok.

Well, most of them.

One demon, more subtle and dangerous than all the rest, slipped out of sight and lurked in the place it inhabited between realities, waiting for its own chance to grow in strength and power….

F I N

 _Author's Note: The Play_

 _In the end, a rather short chapter, but since we've had a bunch of longer ones, probably a nice change. I wanted to have this interruption, but I didn't want to go too far with it anyway. I probably should have dug through my Inuyasha stuff and found the play episodes and rewatched them so I could emulate that a little more, but oh well. I don't mind what I got here. The name of the Princess, the most important thing (in my mind), I got._

 _I lampooned it, of course, but I actually did decide to design this play using the 'Once Upon a Time' game, drawing out a stack of cards to make a sort-of storyline and then piecing it together myself in a ridiculous fashion. I figured it would be a good way for the crazy brain of Kanade Yûki to work. And she seems, to me, the kind of person to come up with a name like Escargot Pudding. The snarky audience commentary is actually drawn from the chapter/episode of Fairy Tail when our heroes are forced to participate in a play that is really horrible, but which their magic makes seem quite impressive. Naturally, it's also in the vein of the kind of commentary offered by characters in Hayate the Combat Butler._

 _And that's all for here, really. Now to finish up the Fall Festival and move on to the final stage of this Act…._


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: This is a nonprofit fictional story, a FanFiction based on Ken Akamatsu's Negima. I do not own Negima, or most of the other characters included in this work, excepting where it is stated in the author's notes. It is not intended or presented for any commercial profit or personal gain; it is simply a story written for personal fulfillment and presented for public enjoyment, and as an honest homage to the fine story conceived and written by Ken Akamatsu, as well as all the other (innumerable) works that find place herein (and their authors).

Chapter Six: End of the Festival ~Searching Feelings~

"Are you sure this is okay, Kazumi?" Kain demanded as they walked together. "This early on…there's not much for us to do, and it's too early for us to dress up well…."

"Eh? Ah, no…it's fine this way." The girl smiled demurely. "This is…what I wanted, actually. I wanted to be first. It'll make it easier to talk to you."

"Well, all right, then…talk. Go ahead and speak what's on your mind."

Kazumi hesitated, gathering all her thoughts before she began. "Well…I'm sorry…about the 'borrowing' game…."

"Is that all? Think nothing of it, Kazumi; rather, I should be apologizing to you all. I was a little rough, I know…probably went overboard…."

"No, that's not it." Kazumi shook her head in denial. "We….we know, we understand, but we…." She sighed and took in a deep breath before continuing.

"We wanted to know Kain- _sensei_ 's mind. We're frustrated, not knowing what you think of all of us. And we saw an opportunity to learn it…to show Kain- _sensei_ that we couldn't just be disregarded. I…no, I can't say that I didn't want to go that far. Even if I was pressured because of all of them, I wanted it, too. I wanted to know Kain- _sensei_ 's real feelings. I wanted you to take more notice of me, too. You've been distant. Certainly, we all understood why, but still, it became a moment to indulge our selfishness. But we were unfair to you, really. I regret it."

Kain smiled slightly. "Really, there's no need to feel so down about it, Kazumi. I'm sure we'd all rather just forget about it. We all became victims of a rather cruel game in some fashion or another. But I can understand your frustration…yours especially, Kazumi."

She stopped and stared at him in surprise. Kain took a step farther and turned to glance out and down at the Festival stalls and arenas being set up in the far corners of the grounds; they were walking on one of the walkways overlooking the main streets of the Mahora 'town'. "It's hard to act this way and harder to talk about, but I understand your feelings…and you have confessed your heart to me before. I've always felt most guilty towards you. In some fashion or another, the rest of them, those who became part of the White Wings, chose this path because it called out to them—friendship, a sense of adventure, mysteries or something else…but I know very well that you never had anything tying you to this path except for me. Sacrificing time and opportunities with your friends, going out of your element into a strange, alien, dangerous world…I never wanted someone like you there, but the weight of your feelings was too strong for me. I had no choice but to allow you to join with the others. And after you went through so much and suffered so much…you must be angry and frustrated that the seeds you've planted seemed to have refused to grow, that I've never gone so far as to even acknowledge your feelings." He smiled bitterly. "That last bit might be the cruelest of all I've done." He finally turned back to her. "I love you, Kazumi…but I love all of you girls. Each one of you is dear to my heart, and one of my biggest fears and pains from the beginning has been the thought that, if I should choose, I would be able to bring happiness to only one of you, and break the hearts of all the rest. That's quite a burden. But…is that what you really want, Kazumi? For me to answer your feelings definitively, at this moment, and tell you how my heart truly feels?"

Kazumi stared back at him for just a moment, her expression calm and serene…and then she smiled and shook her head. "No, Kain- _sensei_. That's not why I called you here. Part of me definitely aches for you to tell me, but I know I can't really ask that of you yet. I just wanted to apologize for my part in that fiasco…to ask your forgiveness and see that, at least, I could be forgiven, that I hadn't destroyed your faith in me. But you've answered that enough. I'm more reasonable now, myself. I'll wait until you're ready…or until I really can't stand it anymore.

"You say that I must be frustrated and angry that my efforts have seemingly gone to waste, but that isn't true. Before, I never could have believed that I could ever be in a world like the one we just went through, that such a story could have been my life. But even if I could do it all over again…even if you were to reject me, and tell me that you could make it all vanish away like a dream, and I'd forget everything I went through…I wouldn't want that. These memories and experiences are a part of me, now. And Overcast- _san_ , and Jade- _san_ , and Saber- _san_ , and all the people we met and befriended on the other side…they're a part of me, now, too. I'm not frustrated at all, Kain- _sensei_. In fact, I want you to know…I'm grateful that I came to know you, and came into this world when I did. I'm grateful for everything I experienced. Even now, compared to the others, I'm a weak and powerless girl…but I still feel that I have made a small difference, that I was a part of it. Maybe…just maybe, now that Yukari- _chan_ and Matake- _chan_ are part of it, too, it makes it easier to accept, as well. So, Kain- _sensei_ …I'm sorry…and thank you…for everything." Kazumi bowed deeply to him.

Kain nodded softly in reply. "I see. You've really grown strong, Kazumi. I'm glad. I can leave this promise, at least; I'll have my answer, for you and all of you, by graduation. Until then, I remain your humble teacher and friend. Anything you need, you only have to ask."

"Of course, thank you…I'm in your care…."

8-8-8

Kazumi and Kain spent a short while longer enjoying the sights of the morning before she took her leave. As Kain had intimated, he had a full schedule of dates planned for him for the day. To his surprise, however, the next slot was taken by Momo, who appeared dressed in a fine blue _kimono_ with a cloud pattern.

"Isn't it a little early for that kind of attire?" he teased her.

Momo put her arms out and twirled. "Well, why should it be? True, most of them won't be dressing like this until the evening, but why should I worry about changing at that time of day? Everything is so informal here, so I might as well enjoy dressing like this while I have any kind of excuse."

"Fair enough. I'm more surprised that you wanted to fight for a moment of my time."

She cocked her head and smiled at him. "Really, Kain- _sensei_? Maybe you don't know the hearts of young ladies as well as you seem to." She gestured to the north, away from the town and towards the wilderness, and started that direction. "Can we go for a walk, first? There's something I'd like to talk to you about."

"Ah," Kain murmured. "Sounds serious."

Momo was silent as she led Kain out away from the growing crowds and noise of the festivities. Finally she stopped and glanced around. "It's been a few years I've been here…although our science mimics yours, for the most part the Soul Society's general ambience is of a land from several centuries in the past by your reckoning. I still haven't really gotten used to the cities of Japan; places like this are far more comfortable to me." She cast a searching glance Kain's way. "You've never really heard my full story, have you, Kain- _sensei_?"

Kain smiled slightly. "You told me about yourself when we got back from Kyoto. I saw what part you played in my parents' past from Aiden's movies. I would think I knew it pretty well. Is there more?"

Momo smiled back at him. "There is. Starting with this. I love you, Kain- _sensei_. For most of the girls, that's kind of a big deal, but for me…the truth is, it's a fake love, an insincere love. You're just the…victim of the circumstance, or something. Well…here it goes.

"My earliest memories are of my spiritual youth, growing up in the Rukongai in a family that consisted of me, Shirô- _chan_ , and the one we called our grandmother. I was recognized as having great spiritual power, and accepted into the _hinigami_ 's spiritual arts school. While I was there, a training exercise went wrong, and our group was attacked by a group of Huge Hollows that slaughtered the students and were about to kill my friends and me, but we were finally saved…by Aizen- _taichô_ …by Aizen Sôsuke. And at that moment, I fell in complete and total love with him. It wasn't really romantic love, although had he asked me to be his wife or concubine I could never have refused him. I worshipped him; the love I felt was as the love of a priest for his God. He was everything to me, and my desire to become a _hinigami_ was redoubled because of what I saw in him.

"He recognized that love and manipulated me, fed it and nurtured it…and then, as you saw, your father came. He revealed Aizen's plot…and then killed him. He saved me from Aizen's hand, as well, but in a way, he couldn't save me. Part of me died with Aizen. I was left with a void in my life, all that devotion and nothing to be devoted to. There was only one thing that could fill that void—and that was Kalan Lockeheart himself, the man who saved me, the man who destroyed my world, the only man, though yet at that time a boy, who could possibly compare to Aizen. My worship for my lord was replaced in equal parts by love and hate for Kalan Lockeheart."

Kain's eyes widened slightly in shock at this confession, something he had never expected but which he began to slowly understand. He did not interrupt, however, and Momo continued, "That is why I finally journeyed out to join him in the battle against the Obsidian Star. I wanted to thrust all my love and hate upon him. I wanted him to take responsibility for what he had done to me. I wanted…for him to fill that void in my life. That's what I really wanted, deep down…but I knew, just as deeply, that it was impossible. Kalan was a man who was dedicated to saving the whole world; a girl like me could hardly even register in his eyes. I was just another life he had saved, precious, certainly, but hardly deserving of any extra attention. And…really…even then, I could tell that there was no room in his heart for someone like me, because that place was already inhabited. So after the war was over I returned home…a broken and defeated _hinigami_. The love for Aizen and the even more failed love for Kalan were smoldering embers in my heart, and to try to fill that void, I threw myself into training my _hinigami_ skills. Anything I could do to make me forget, just for a moment, an afternoon, a day, a week, my sorrowful, foolish mistakes of my past.

"Although Hirako- _taichô_ , who returned after the war to take Aizen's place as my 5th Company Captain, wanted me to serve as his lieutenant, I was in no condition to do so. Finally Aiden sent his young son, Delryn, who had manifested a rare natural ability, a Soul Blade, to his old friend Higurashi Eishun- _san_ to train him with the sword. Eishun- _san_ taught him the basics of swordsmanship, but he suggested a _hinigami_ might understand not just swordsmanship, but his own powers the best, and Aiden sent word to Soul Society to ask aid from Rukia- _chan_ or myself. Hirako- _taichô_ leapt at the chance to send me out to do something that might 'clear my head up'. I agreed, and journeyed to Earth to Eishun- _san_ 's residence. There I met Kagome, and I taught Del- _chan_ how to commune with his sword, and some of the first lessons of _zanjutsu_ , the _hinigami_ art of the sword.

"Del- _chan_ was a natural with the blade, and he learned everything I could teach him in a few months and then returned to Arcanus Myrror, but Eishun- _san_ surprised me with another offer. He asked me to accompany Kagome to Mahora as her friend and bodyguard, and after receiving permission from the Soul Society, I agreed. I was told about Mai, who was to be our third roommate, and that watching over her would be part of my assignment. Here, acting as a young preteen human girl, interacting with mortal girls…I came to enjoy it. I found a peace that had eluded me for two decades. But the old wounds in my heart…hadn't healed. Word of the mysterious disappearance of Kalan- _san_ and Aeli- _san_ had not helped. And then…you appeared.

"They never informed me you were coming. I had heard rumors that the two had a child, but I knew nothing else…not until you appeared, bumping into Mai that February morning, wearing his cloak and his smile. I was frightened and fascinated by you at the same time. I asked Takamichi- _kun_ after, and he told me about your circumstances. He left it up to me whether I would approach you or not; but, after learning of the academy's plans for you, I decided to sit back and watch unless it was absolutely necessary. I would probably have come out to help protect you from Alyssa, had I known about it…but Sakura- _chan_ was using her power to make your battle private, so I never knew anything was going on until it was over, just like the Principal and all the rest. And then…the trip to Kyoto. You know that, of course. With my cover blown, I accepted your help in protecting Kagome, and…and then we just sort of became a team. I was very surprised that you had already roped Mai into the magical world, but I guess, like everyone else, I decided it was fate.

"I watched you grow, and learn, and grow more powerful. You were so like your father, and yet you were not…well, you've heard that enough, but I saw it clearly. Your father exploded into my life as a living boy-God, an unstoppable avenging angel of power that surpassed everything. But, while talented, you were a boy with little knowledge of the world and an innocence that…was compelling. And…over time…you began to work your way into my heart, not like the other girls, but…as a replacement for the idols I had lost. I began thinking of you as if I were your mother hen, or a watchful big sister…but over time you started to become that replacement."

Momo had largely avoided looking at Kain as she continued her monologue, but now she finally turned her eyes on him and focused on him. "I had to tell you this, Kain- _sensei_ …Kain- _kun_. Not for you, but for myself, so that I could settle the heart within me. Accept these feelings, embrace them, so that I can let them go, and move on with my life. I doubt it needs to be said, but don't trouble yourself over them. I will finish up this year with my class, I will 'graduate' with the rest of them, I'll watch you and Mai finish what you need to do, and then, finally, my wounded heart restored, I will return to the Soul Society and resume my true duties as a _hinigami_ of the Gotei 13. Don't pursue me. Don't even think of trying to return my feelings. That kind of mistake would only hurt both of us. I only tell you this so that I can bring closure to that part of me, and finally say goodbye to Momo the vine, who only clings to others and has no support of her own. And…all that will be left between us is my gratitude to you, for helping me to finally make peace with myself. For guiding us all…for loving us…for helping us rise above…I thank you, Kain Lockeheart." She bowed to him, deeply.

She held her bow, and Kain finally decided that she had finished. "I love you…but please don't love me back?" he chuckled softly. "That almost hurts, Momo." He moved forward and put a hand under her chin, then lifted slightly to raise her face so that he could gaze down into her eyes. "But what if you _are_ the girl I long for? What if I chase you into the Seireitei?"

Momo's face was almost shocked, but she swiftly turned it into a scowl and lightly slapped away Kain's hand, then rose and turned away in a minor huff. "Really, Kain- _sensei_ …I definitely loved you more when you were innocent, before you let that demon mess with your emotions so much." She glanced sidelong at him, a sad and coy mixed expression on her face. "Besides, you know that love could never work out between a human and a _hinigami_ …and less so between a _hinigami_ and whatever you've become."

Kain chuckled again. "I don't know…Sakura seemed to believe it could."

"Yes…." Momo turned away and looked up wistfully. "For some reason, it…really seemed like Sakura was trying to encourage me to pursue you, encourage you to choose me. I…never really understood what she was thinking…."

"I do." Kain sighed. "I actually know…but that's a long explanation. I honestly believe that under circumstances that were appropriate I could have been happy with any of you girls for my love, had that girl alone been there for our stars to align. I believe I could have loved you that way, too, Momo, regardless of _hinigami_ and human. But you're right; and I was just joking. You may return to the Seireitei with no fear of leaving me behind. I have enough trouble with love here in the mortal realm. I wish that more of your classmates could take that kind of attitude and make it easier on me…but maybe it's cruel to even think such a thing. Thank you, Momo. Let's not talk about it anymore. You still have some time with me…shall we head back into the Festival and enjoy one little date together?"

Momo once again looked back at him, appreciation on her face this time. "Yes, let's…after all, I went to the trouble of dressing up for the occasion, and I can't let that go to waste. Lead on, thou, my knight…if only for this moment."

8-8-8

As the Festival began to get into full swing and a far greater number of stalls and attractions began to go live, Chisame looked out from her quiet, secluded café table at the Festivities below and grumbled to herself. Her thoughts were chaotic, and even the chicaneries of her nearly ever-present mice familiars did little to penetrate her dour mood….

"Here you are, Chisame." Kain set his tray of food down across from her. "Can I join you for lunch?"

Chisame jumped, scattering her bleating cyber-pets and whirling on Kain almost like a frightened rabbit as he sat, not waiting for her permission. "Y-you! What the hell are you doing here!?" Recovering her composure, she continued, scowling more normally at him, "I-I mean, why did you come here, and alone, _Sensei_? Shouldn't you be out there toying with some girl's heart?"

"Your classmates were actually very thorough in planning my schedule for today," Kain replied. "And they agreed to strike a truce over some things and leave me to my own devices for lunch, so that no one could claim any significant advantage. So, I decided I might seek you out…someone who, much to my surprise, made no move to claim my time today."

"Your surprise? What, you think I'm one of those love-struck ninnies? In your dreams, Don Juan. I have no part in that stupid kid's game…;"

"C'mon, Chiucchi, admit it," cooed Kamo as he suddenly pulled himself onto Kain's shoulder. "Your love ranking with Kain is pretty high, you know…."

"D-don't even start with that, Rodent! You don't know what the hell you're talking about! It ain't like that with me!" She struggled to regain her composure and, still red-faced, removed her glasses and glared at the rodent sternly. "I'm not anything like one of those twitter-painted lovesick kids. You can imagine what you want or translate things however you want, but it's not me, so don't push your luck with my patience."

"That's fine," Kain said suddenly, raising a hand to Kamo's head to hush him. "That just makes it easier on me if that's your stance. But I can't just leave you alone. What is it that you want from me? Do you still want to just slug me one in the face? If there's anything more than that, I might be willing to grant it, Chisame."

Chisame turned her glare on him. "You're just not happy unless you're granting girls wishes, huh? What are you, some kind of playboy genie? Well, fine then. If you really want to know what I want, if you want to grant my wish, then it's time to open up. No more games. No more dissembling. I want the details about your operation to stabilize the seven worlds. And if I want anything more from you, it's to be a part of it."

Kain considered her carefully. "You're sure? No more 'It's not my problem', no more 'I'm gonna live my own reality', but you want to be involved in the most major magical experiment?"

"That's right. What else am I going to do? You dragged me into this reality against my will. I can't go back to normal now, no matter how much I want to. This world is going to become a world of magic anyway, right? I fought to stop Sakura from implementing that world, but now you're doing it, and if I were somehow able to stop that, the world would just be destroyed anyway. So if I can't run from it, I might as well have something to do with it. Trying to leave me out now would be the cruelest thing of all, after dragging me this far."

Kain held his searching stare for several moments. Then he nodded. "All right then. I'll accept your help. And I'll tell you everything. This is what we're doing, and why." And he explained it.

Chisame stared at him in shock as he spoke. When he finished, he calmly turned his attention to his meal and began to eat it as Chisame sat frozen, still trying to process the details. "W-w- _what_!?" she finally demanded in shock. "Is that really it!? But…."

"Please, don't say anything about this to anyone else, especially not anyone in the class. It would only cause trouble."

"Goodness, you're not kidding about _that_. Isn't there _any_ other way to go about this?"

"No. Well, there's one." Kain raised his head from his food to meet Chisame's gaze. "I could become a sacrifice to bind the worlds together. If I strip out the demon part of me and convert myself to pure mana, let that part of my current existence subsume me, then I could become a spell, a power to link the worlds and bring them into that orbit. But I would truly become lost as mana, I would be effectively dead, sacrificed to protect those worlds. As serious as this sounds…it's by far the better solution. Not by my opinion, but by all those who have discussed this with me and helped devise it. No one wants to see me make that kind of sacrifice; as much as I don't like the other option, either, there's still some hope, some good things to look forward to."

"Jeez…I guess so. But I know…people aren't going to be happy about this once they learn, less happy that you kept it from them. But if they knew now…they might go up in arms to object, too. I understand." She sighed. "Well…obviously I can't do anything for that actual magical ceremony, not any part of it. But is there something I can do? You can't just say I should sit back and watch it, right?"

"No." Kain shook his head. "There's a lot more that will need to be done, and actually, you can be a great help. This plan will save the world, the worlds, on the magical side, but Earth is going to become a high-mana world itself, and that could cause chaos on the civilization side, the social side, so we have to take steps there, too. The next ten to fifteen years will be crucial; we have to control the spread of the knowledge of magic, carefully, not keeping it totally secret, but letting it be revealed bit by bit. We need to let those in authority know so that they can prepare themselves to lead their countries into the new era. Rakasu is going to help with that—her artifact allows her to 'meet with anyone', to explain it simply, so I can go about and visit the world leaders and get them into my plan. But you can use your skills and artifact to control information across the cyber-world. Planting rumors little by little, letting magic secrets seep through…that kind of thing should be your forte, right? And then after that…if you're still looking for purpose…we'll need to prepare to meet the other five worlds, because they should all eventually become as close to us as Arcanus Myrror."

"Hmm. Yeah. I can do that. That's something. Fine, I'll do it!" She stood up fiercely, taking her plate of food with her. "And now, if you'll excuse me, I have to go start making plans for this. I'll talk to you later about the details. I'm sure you have other girls to get back to slaying." And she turned and walked away. Kamo chuckled to himself as they watched her go.

8-8-8

Kain spent the day whirling between girls or parties, entertaining them as necessary. It was enjoyable, in its fashion, especially since Kain was able to use his skills to win a wide variety of games for a double bounty—points for his class' competition, and prizes to appease his companions. It wasn't long before news of Kain and his exploits began to spread throughout the Festival, and many of the stalls suddenly went on break as Kain and company came around. Kain didn't let himself be completely put out by this treatment; there were still plenty of things they could do, games without prizes, food, simple rides and the like.

After dinner, there was one more date prepared for Kain—he was to go at once with the trio of Yue, Nodoka, and Ami.

For the evening of the Festival, _kimono_ , more specifically _yukata_ , were commonly worn by the students. Normally, of course, _yukata_ were light _kimono_ intended for summer festivities, or after bathing at hot spring inns. However, at Mahora, it was tradition for them to be worn once more for this festival.

And so Kain waited, dressed in his own _yukata_ , for his final date…but….

"Kain- _sensei_ …."

Kain turned and looked…and saw Yue approaching, dressed in her own blue evening _kimono_. She was alone, however. "Yue." Kain looked around further. "Are you alone? The others…."

"T-they'll…be along shortly," Yue explained. "I wanted…just a few moments alone, first…."

"Ah? What is it?"

Nodoka and Ami were there…along with several other of their classmates who caught wind of something interesting and began to follow them. They were now huddled together, watching from hiding, Nodoka and Ami trying to shush the interlopers.

"I-it's just…j-just that…" Yue wheezed, gulping from the effort, her head lowered, her face flushed. "Y-you…I-I mean, I…." He inhaled a deep breath. "I love you, Kain- _sensei_!"

The watching girls, several of whom had been waiting for this stubborn girl to finally admit what every other person in the class knew plainly, began to cheer, lightly, not loudly enough to disturb the scene, however. Kain, for his part, waited silently and stoically as Yue began to elucidate.

"I-it's just that my memory hasn't returned yet, so…so I really don't know how it started…." _('I-I said it…')_ Yue thought, her mind racing as the words began to flow freely from her mouth. _('There's no going back….')_ "But…becoming an apprentice HiME at Garderobe and coming back safely, my feelings for you supported me through all of it…." She looked up at Kain's face as she trailed off, and began to panic as she mistook his calm poise for mental stun. "N-no! Please…don't worry about this too much! I-I just wanted to tell you how I feel! I-I don't mean to burden you with this! I know that you have many responsibilities and such, too many worries to even think about, so, um, i-it would be perfectly fine if you don't reply until after graduation…."

And then, finally, the shock hit her. That phrase, uttered from her lips, reminded her of the words she had told Kain the first time she realized—or at least admitted—her feelings for him. _('I…I remember…I remember everything…! The days I spent at Mahora that I couldn't remember before!')_

Her rant ground to silence as the shock began to overcome her. Nodoka perked up slightly, noticing the change coming over her. Yue's thoughts continued. _('I was supposed to be cheering Nodoka on…but then I went and even fell in love with the same boy! And so, I couldn't confess because of my feelings of guilt…but Nodoka wanted us to be on even footing, and she encouraged me to confess…right, as luck would have it, as I lost my memories…._

 _('…As luck would have it? No…no, that's not right…it's too convenient…it's like Ami said…this memory loss is something that I wished for in my heart…! What a wretched thing I…!')_

Tears began to flow down Yue's cheeks. Kain, sensing that the moment he had been waiting for had arrived, suddenly reached out, took Yue by the back of the head, and leaned her forward. He kissed her forehead, then brought her face forward further to cradle it in his chest. "It's all right, Yue. We've crossed that bridge…and burned it. I'm thankful for your feelings. We all have too much to sort through before we say any more than that, but I appreciate your sentiments. You have nothing to be ashamed of. Nodoka will tell you the same thing, right?"

Nodoka and Ami suspected the truth of Yue's sudden reaction, but others jumped to the wrong conclusions. "That Kain- _sensei_ …is he making her cry!?" Kanade seethed, leaping up from hiding. "The nerve of that man! I'll go teach him to trample on a maiden's heart!" Ignoring Nodoka's and Ami's protests, she began to pelt towards the couple.

Kain glanced over as Kanade came towards them, shouting. Smiling slightly, he looked past her at Yue's two friends, and turned his free hand up to snap his fingers. Magic enveloped Yue, Nodoka, and Ami, and of course Kain himself, and in a moment they were gone.

They reappeared in one of Kain's favorite places—the usual 3-A roof court. Kain released Yue, who almost instinctively turned and dashed over to Nodoka, showing extreme presence of mind, or perhaps complete lack thereof—seemingly not even considering her sudden change of locale, or the sudden appearance of Nodoka. She cried on Nodoka's chest and began to blather out apologies while Nodoka desperately tried to reassure her. Kain watched them, a small smile on his face…and Ami turned her attention between the pair and Kain himself in turn.

Finally Yue seemed to have exhausted her emotional outburst and tried, with assistance from Nodoka, to dry the rest of her tears. Kain looked them over one moment more, and then said, "Well, we haven't even started, and it's still an emotional evening; are you feeling up to going through with it? I could understand if you wanted to go back and rest, but if you want to continue, perhaps we should…."

"N-no, m-maybe that's right," Yue began. "T-this was tiring…p-perhaps I should leave it to the two of you, and go back home to recover…I-I'm very tired right now…."

"No!" Nodoka insisted instantly. "We can't let you do that, Yue…rather, now that you've finally confessed, I think that I should leave after all, and let you have a proper date of your own. I had a good date with Kain- _sensei_ at the Mahora Festival, after all, and you…."

"N-no, you can't use that as an excuse! I-I also spent some time alone with Kain- _sensei_ then, even if I hadn't confessed to him at the time, and that certainly counts towards…."

Kain glanced Ami's way and shared a brief look of exasperated bemusement with her. Then he suddenly strode forward and broke up their competition of magnanimity, interposing himself between them and taking their hands, Nodoka's left and Yue's right. "All right, then…if you have enough energy to argue, you have enough energy to enjoy yourselves this evening. I've had to endure the Baka Trio, Kanade's whims, apologies for Wednesday more times than I like and a number of confessions. So now, let me at least enjoy one final date with two of my favorite lovely flowers adorning me…all right?"

His words and the flashing smile he turned on both of them silenced them swiftly and brought them to bear as they turned their heads to the ground, blushing furiously. He started guiding them towards the stairway, glancing over his shoulder at Ami. He stopped when she didn't immediately follow.

"Well, I was planning on coming along as a chaperone, to make both of them more comfortable…but I really think I'd be more in the way," Ami said before Kain could voice his question. "I think you should be fine…enjoy yourselves. Take care of them, Kain- _sensei_." She bowed to him.

Kain smiled, nodded, and began leading them away again. Ami raised herself and watched them go. "Kain- _sensei_ …" she murmured. "His heart really is big enough for all of them…but reality isn't that kind. I saw it in his eyes…he's already made his choice…and he regrets it, to a degree…but the last thing he wants to do is hurt anyone…." She shook her head and sighed. "But, for now…for this night…I pray they find happiness…."

8-8-8

Kain spent most of the rest of the night with the pair, expertly leading each of them through a multitude of activities so that they were too busy to let their hearts dwell on the conflicted nature of their romantic sentiments. They enjoyed the Festival as three friends, and finally Kain released them to return home—normally he would have walked them to their place of abode, but since they lived just a few doors down from him, he decided such a normal gentlemanly act would have simply been strange and awkward, and so he parted ways with them at the Mahora Tree, for sentiments' sake.

As he watched them go, a new figure slunk up behind him. Kain turned. "Delryn," he greeted the other man.

"Kain," Delryn returned. His eyes glanced briefly at the departing backs of the girls, then he returned his attention to Kain. "This night, I feel…there is something you definitely need to hear. I need…to confess my feelings for you. You see, I…."

Magic in the shape of an arm blossomed out to cover Delryn's face and smother his witty commentary. Kain let the magic tousle him for just a few moments before releasing it. "Give me a break," Kain began.

Delryn laughed, his face flush and scowling slightly from the treatment, but, aware he was asking for it and also aware of whom he was picking a fight with, he reined in his temper. "Oh, come on! Everyone else is doing it; why shouldn't I have a turn? There's been just one veritable parade of girls fawning over you all day long. I said it before; you are the _luckiest_ bastard to ever walk this Earth…."

"You think so? Really?" Kain's voice was far away, subdued, and yet with an edge to it. "You think this is great, a man's dream, right, so many lovely flowers for him to pick?" The edge disappeared, and Kain sighed and said in a far more weary voice, "Trade places with me anytime, you womanizer. Besides, I don't think you have any right to talk like that; or did I not see you with Akari pretty much the entire day?" As Delryn stiffened from the (entirely accurate) accusation, Kain continued, "She's one I didn't see at all today, so if you're a man who really wants to talk about good fortune, take a moment to thank the Lord for your own…or I might mention to that girl how much you envy my multitude of adoring fans."

"H-hey, I didn't mean anything by it…" Delryn began.

"I know." Again Kain's tone was subdued, wistful, tired, and somehow quite melancholy. "But for me, it's serious. It's not something to joke around about. So many men would love to be in my position, I'm sure…hell, if I had really wanted it, I probably could have seduced most of them by now to…do anything I wanted. But I'm not a 'carnivore' as these Japanese youths like to call it. I would have been perfectly happy with one…the curse of prosperity is a curse indeed to me." He turned and started away. "I'm done for the evening. Enjoy yourself…but remember one thing." Kain stopped suddenly and glanced back over his shoulder at Delryn. There was definitely a savage, threatening glint in his eye. "It'll annoy me, but I'll stomach it; you can make all the fun of me you want. But if you do anything to break Akari's heart…you'll wish you'd never heard of me, this school or this world." Then, without waiting for Delryn to find a reply, he turned away again and vanished.

Delryn stared after him, open-mouthed, still fighting to find a reply for several moments. Finally he shook his head and muttered, "Jeez, who the hell does he really think he is…the boyfriend of all these girls, or their father…?"

F I N

 _Author's Note: Confessions_

 _As I noted earlier, I expanded the sports festival that followed the magical world arc of Negima so that I could include things like the play, and so the final day became the area for dates and such._

 _I didn't include most of them…just the confessions and discussions that were most heartfelt. Kazumi, who despite being present was almost lost and generally overlooked during my own magical world arc, got the chance to speak of her feelings; like Ami's battle in Act 16, Kazumi got a small boost because I just recently watched Shakugan no Shana III, the final season of the series, something I'd put off for a long time, and while she did not have a whole lot to do, she was important, and so I was able to present her with the original work on my mind._

 _Chisame's emotional wrestlings with Kain aren't so great as they were in Negima, but there was a chapter in Negima post-MW that featured her basically trying to track Negi down to ask the same things. Negi's original project was actually a space program, to reach and terraform Mars so the magical world could be integrated with the actual planet safely, but mine doesn't have that; but it likens all the more back to Sakura's attempted future world. Chisame can help with that, and after her importance in the MW arc of MSK, I needed to establish her place—someone dear to Kain, someone he cares for, but not someone who can really be 'the one' for him. I'm hemming and hawing and hedging things and dropping hints and being obscure about where Kain's heart really is as we tiptoe towards the ending, but I feel no regret declaring that Chisame has long since removed herself from the race, no matter how much she longs to be part of his life and work. Chisame is, in some ways, a realist, and she knows that, surrounded as she is by such alluring, perfect specimens, she couldn't put herself forward as someone who could actively chase Kain, so unless he seriously intends to throw the rest aside and chase after her, they are not destined to be. And as much as Kain cares about her—and he does, greatly—he doesn't care about her more than all the rest._

 _Momo's was something I felt I had to bring in, to settle her feelings. The tiny bits we've seen of her post-Aizen seem to show that she has adjusted well in the original Bleach, better than my copy in this universe has, but that emotional trauma was inspired by some of her actions and words post-betrayal Aizen but pre-defeat Aizen. I'd already established this line of feelings for her since long past, and decided that this was a great opportunity to declare them as such. Momo knows that she can't be a part of Kain's life more than any of her human classmates, that overall they're incompatible, and moreover that her feelings have been too volatile since it all began; but in a way, falling sort-of in love with Kain was cathartic and helped her soul healing. She's more mentally at peace, thanks to him and everything that's happened since he arrived._

 _And, finally, there was Yue's confession. Yue finally confessed to Negi in the middle of the sports festival, and before the stupid borrowing game; in fact, in the original, after Yue confesses the class starts talking about the 'enemy of women' Negi and how he has trod on the hearts and stolen the lips of so many girls. This leads, finally, to the cheerleaders finding out about the Pactios, and they ending up being one of the impetuses inspiring the class to go after Negi so hard in that original version of the borrowing game. In my version, however, this just seemed a good moment for Yue to make her confession…and, as happened originally, get her memory back._

 _Now, with that out of the way…stuff's about to get real…._


	8. Chapter 8

Disclaimer: This is a nonprofit fictional story, a FanFiction based on Ken Akamatsu's Negima. I do not own Negima, or most of the other characters included in this work, excepting where it is stated in the author's notes. It is not intended or presented for any commercial profit or personal gain; it is simply a story written for personal fulfillment and presented for public enjoyment, and as an honest homage to the fine story conceived and written by Ken Akamatsu, as well as all the other (innumerable) works that find place herein (and their authors).

Chapter Seven: Happy Birthday! ~The Dream Begins~

Class 3-A earned the 4th overall place in the Fall Festival competition out of all the classes, and they spent the weekend, naturally, celebrating their achievement. Kain allowed himself to be drawn into the celebrations; however, the class was in for quite a surprise on Monday, November 5, as they chattered about the classroom just prior to school's start in the morning.

Shizuna, not Kain, came walking into the room. The buxom, bespectacled woman smiled at the suddenly silent class and bade them sit, then finally explained herself: "Kain- _sensei_ is absent now, off on important business for the school. Therefore, we have a temporary substitute for you…."

"Absent?" Kanade suddenly burst out. "Why?"

"What's going on?" Risa demanded. "Why didn't he say anything to us?"

"How long is he going to be gone?" Kaoru put in.

Shizuna motioned for the class to quiet itself. "It will be off and on for several weeks; there's nothing to be done for it now. Now, let me introduce your temporary teacher…."

The door opened again, and a young woman in an exotic outfit with strawberry-blond hair walked easily in. There were yelps from all corners of the class, and a great handful of artifacts flashed as the nervous students summoned them.

Luana smiled slightly at the treatment, but the usually even-tempered Shizuna clapped her hands and scolded the class sternly. "Come now! What is the meaning of this? A sudden cosplay party? Be respectful; this is your substitute teacher, duly appointed by the principal…."

"To be honest, I'd be more at ease with Yukiji right now," Miki murmured.

"But, she is…!" Erika attempted.

Shizuna clapped her hands harshly again. "That's enough. If you have any further questions about this matter, I suggest you bring it up with the principal himself. Now then…."

Grumbling, the class returned to their seats and went through the motions of the pre-lesson rituals, and Luana, apologizing for her humble inadequacies, began to address their lessons. She seemed to speak both Japanese and English perfectly well, and seemed to know her subject matter quite well. The class paid grudging attention, but their minds were on other things—namely their missing teacher, and one missing classmate: Mai.

8-8-8

Kain and Mai walked into the office, and the well-dressed, middle-aged man rose from his seat. "Ah, Monsieur Kain Lockeheart! Mademoiselle Mai Tokiha! Bienvenue à notre belle ville, Genève! Ça me fait laisir à vous voir. Comment était-il, le voyage? Ce n'était pas trop longue?"

"Bonjour, Monsieur Claude Dujardin, et merci," Kain replied in easy French. "Ce n'était pas trop mal. Nous sommes toujours vivants et prêts à commencer."

Claude Dujardin, representative of the Western European Magic Association, noted Mai's confusion and switched to English. "You say you are already prepared to begin?" he reiterated for her benefit. "Ah, but Monsieur Lockeheart! Surely you wish to sample some sights and wonders of our fair city and country…?"

"I should very much like to," Kain replied with a sigh. "But sadly, we are somewhat pressed for time. I would like to hit at least Athens, Samaria and Delhi in the next week. We just have so much to do."

"Ah, dommage…I understand. You are in quite a hurry to complete your project, eh? Your report was quite detailed; the damage caused by the Obsidian Star to the world…sorry, worlds. Still…there is…no, never mind. If you are so focused on time, I will have a car ready to take you to the station, and a train prepared to take you to Sion. You will be met there by our people, of course, so they can take you to it."

"So…" Mai began as they left the building and headed for the car that was already in front waiting for them.

"He greeted us, welcomed us to Geneva, noted his pleasure, and asked how our trip was," Kain explained. "I thanked him and told him it wasn't bad…."

"That's not what I was asking!" Mai sighed as the pair sank into the comfy seats in the back of the luxury car. She glanced at him. "How many languages do you speak, anyway?"

"English, Japanese, French, German, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Norwegian, Greek, Latin, Hebrew, Mandarin, Korean, and some of Arabic, Finnish, and Cantonese. I need to also start on Russian, Hindi, others…." He smiled at her shocked face. "I like languages, and had plenty of opportunity to study them at school. Of course, I really don't need to learn them—with magic, I can communicate with anyone—but I enjoy them."

Mai shook her head. "I can't even imagine that. The only reason I can handle English is the little princess I've got in the back of my mind." She brushed absentmindedly at the back of her head. "Well…that's you, I guess. At least it'll make this world tour interesting." She stretched and leaned back in her seat with a sigh. "It's strange, though…I figured the Mana Holy Lands and the Mana Trees would be located around the Gates…."

"Only in a few places—Mahora, England, New Zealand, Greece. Even Mahora isn't like that, really, anymore—it's the 'thirteenth Gate'. After the loss of Orimus, the actual Gate in Japan was moved to Sendai. Some of them are nearer than others, but in America, for instance, Missouri is where they keep the Mana Holy Land, but they like the Gate out where it's more deserted, so Wyoming is the choice. It seems that, over the centuries, the movement to separate the Holy Lands from the Gates has been progressing."

"Kind of inconvenient for us," Mai sighed. "It seems we always have to go out of our way to visit the Holy Lands every time we touch down in a new place…this isn't easy with jet lag, you know."

Kain laughed. "Sorry…but you can't completely blame me. We could spend another week on the first trip and take it easy with our travel, get the rest that we need…but you're the one that insisted we have to return to Mahora in just two weeks…in fact, if we went in one big trip, we could relax and still make it back by halfway through December." He leveled a hard stare at her.

"C'mon, Kain—do you think you can leave that class in the hands of Luana- _san_ for any longer than two weeks, without at least checking up on them?"

Kain's searching look didn't waver. "That's really what this is about?"

"Tell me it isn't true," Mai replied as a counter.

Kain shrugged and turned away. "No…it's true enough…."

"Good. Then that's settled. Thanks for answering my questions. I should have enough on my mind to get me to sleep on the train, at least…."

"Anything to help."

8-8-8

Takamichi had actually been present far more since the new term started, as it was Kain, and not Takamichi himself, who had all the business for the magic side of Mahora, and he was a steadying presence and occasional helper to Luana as she adjusted to being the substitute for Kain in Class 3-A. He also let the date of Kain's return slip to Kanade, who rounded up the entire class and had them on hand to greet Kain and Mai at the airport when they arrived on Sunday, November 18th.

Kain stared in exasperation at the crowd that was gathered for him—twenty-seven girls, including Luana herself (but, naturally, no Alyssa). "And…just what is this about?" he demanded.

"That's our line, Kain- _sensei_!" Kanade responded. "You up and vanished, taking Mai- _chan_ with you, and left us with Luana- _sensei_ instead! You guys didn't e…."

"Just stop right there," Kain interjected, halting the inquisition with an upraised hand. "This was a long business trip…I assume that if the entire class is here, including your interim teacher, you must have a bus here as our transportation back to the academy." He glanced over at the more responsible section—Hinagiku, Erika and Momo were all standing close by Luana, and their faces confirmed his suspicion. "All right, let's get going, then, and I'll explain everything on the way."

They retrieved the pair's luggage, made it out to the bus and started on the trip back, and while Mai attempted to get some sleep with her roommates watching over her, Kain explained his recent business trip to the rest. "This was a small bit of preliminary preparation for our world-saving work. The Mahora Tree, as you all know by now, is a 'mana tree', a tree that actually exudes magic. Most of the magic on Earth is supplied by these trees, twelve of them around the world planted in areas of magical sensitivity called 'Mana Holy Lands'. What we are actually doing is very complicated, but to put it simply, we were—no, Mai is the one who did this, who had to do it. Mai, using her power, is, you could say, 'changing the programming' on these trees and lands in preparation for the main event, when the threads that bind the worlds will be severed and re-tied to balance them.

"You visited twelve sites around the world…in just two weeks?" Yue asked curiously.

"Not all twelve, no—just the ones in America, England, Switzerland, Greece, the Middle East, and India. There are still places in China, New Zealand, Africa, South America, and Russia to go, and we need to finish them before Christmas, so that's another two-week trip…."

"Wait, that's no fair!" Kaoru whined. "You're going to be leaving immediately, then? That's just…."

"No, no…not immediately. It takes a lot out of Mai to be doing this, and she needs to recuperate; she insisted we split it into a pair of two-week loads, with a week of rest in the middle, so we'll be here until Friday, and then get back in the air on Saturday."

"Ah…really," Erika murmured. "That's convenient, then." Kain glanced at her curiously, but she changed the subject. "Was it restful, getting away from all of this?" She gestured at her rambunctious class.

Kain grinned. "As fun as traveling can be, I don't find it very restful, so I didn't enjoy the 'vacation' nearly as much as I could have. Besides, we didn't spend a lot of time seeing any sights. How are you holding up without me?" He glanced over at Luana, who was easily close enough to participate in the conversation, and said slyly, "She isn't too much trouble for you, is she?"

"Luana- _san_ is a fine teacher," Hinagiku insisted. "It's obvious English is her first language…I don't know if she's cheating or not, but she certainly speaks it well enough to teach."

"Cheating?" Luana demanded sweetly.

"Using magic to speak other languages is cheating," Hinagiku replied. Kain, laughing, confirmed her statement, and she continued, "I only mention it because of how the magic of Arcanus Myrror works; since you can speak pretty much any language there, knowledge of them can blend and those who work the spells can simply absorb the knowledge." She gave a thoughtful pause and suddenly asked Kain, "Incidentally, when this project of yours completes and magic becomes the status quo here on Earth, will it have a universal language system, like Arcanus Myrror?"

Kain thought about it. "I actually hadn't given much thought to it, actually, but as I consider it; I really don't think so. I believe that the 'language program' was actually built into the core of Arcanus Myrror by its creator, the Celestial Elodos and whatever helpers he had. Celestials have a natural ability to communicate with any living thing, a kind of 'Truespeech' that their opposites, Infernals, don't possess; Elodos apparently decided he wanted all the people on that world to benefit from the same ability."

Hinagiku nodded, apparently satisfied with this explanation. "Well, getting back to what you asked…Luana- _san_ is doing fine, and in fact is getting along well because she's as much a student as a teacher. She's making sure we're getting all the material, but she's also taking time to ask us questions, about Earth, Japan, and Mahora in particular so that she can fit in better. She's been a model citizen, all things considered." Hinagiku cast a rather unique glance Luana's way, something that might have been a challenge or might have been approval, it was hard to say.

Chisame watched the talkative group silently as the bus rolled along, then spared a glance back at the sleeping Mai. _('He's explaining it all well enough…except the most important details. Is this really for the best…? Do you really think so, Tokiha?')_

8-8-8

The class was still disappointed when Kain didn't return to class the next day, and Luana had to explain that he was still trying to recover from jetlag, but he had agreed to return to teaching the class from Tuesday on through Friday. He was true to his word, too, walking in Tuesday morning, taking roll, and continuing on as if nothing were unusual or amiss; Mai also returned to class that day in perfectly good humor and normal condition, offering some complaints about having to make up all the work she was missing. Not that she was in great difficulty in that department—while she was still not an ideal student, her English, as she had expressed to Kain, had been greatly improved by her reconnection to her previous identity (Kain silently noted that it was essentially, as Hinagiku had expressed, learning it by 'cheating', although he couldn't fault her for it).

Finally, Luana also attended the class, sitting in a corner at the front and watching silently.

"Hey, Kain- _sensei_!" Kanade insisted after class ended, before Kain had departed. "You're back with us, so you're on vacation, so you don't have anything you need to do, right?"

 _('Back with us, so he's on vacation?')_ Chisame thought. _('Sadly, that is actually almost true, but it sounds pretty stupid when you say it like that….')_

Kain somewhat smirked, evidently sharing Chisame's silent opinion. "Pretty much…apart from this class, I was going to kick back and take it easy the rest of the week. Why?"

"We need to have a party to celebrate your return," Miki insisted.

"Abandoning us on such short notice…that was too cruel!" Riza added.

"Now that you're back, we have to get the class together to go crazy!" Izumi finished.

Kain sighed and then laughed, bringing up a hand to silence further elucidation. "Okay, okay…I get it. I can tell you all have some dramatic and convincing speeches prepared, all to convince me, and you won't take no for an answer, so let's just make it easy and I'll capitulate. I'll attend your party. When and where? I know you already have it set up."

"Well, Alyssa- _chan_ 's place is actually our clubroom, right?" Risa said.

"Although _you_ girls never officially joined that 'club', in any case," Alyssa muttered.

Risa continued, not hearing Alyssa's needle, "That's a great place for us to hold a party! We'll have all the room we need, all the supplies and food and drink we could want, everything, and even better, we can party all day and then still get plenty of sleep before school tomorrow!"

"And it means we can start it late enough in the evening that we won't have to miss any club activities," agreed Rakasu. "Shall we meet at, say, 5 PM?"

A quick glance around showed that the class was perfectly in favor of both of these ideas, and Kain easily agreed to them. Kanade turned to Luana. "And Luana- _sensei_ has to come too, right!?"

"Why, thank you," Luana replied, slightly surprised but smiling with pleasure. "I graciously accept your invitation, Kanade- _chan_."

Kain nodded. "All right. It's a date. See you guys this evening." And he slipped out.

8-8-8

Kain arrived at Alyssa's place early, fifteen minutes, in fact, as was his habit and modus operandi. He knocked and immediately opened the door afterward, noting that, as expected, there was no sign of anyone being present. A note on the doorframe by the basement stairs was signed by Alyssa and simply said: 'Already inside setting things up, come in at your leisure.'

Very brief thoughts flitted across Kain's mind, considerations on handling the situation, but in the end he decided that the best way to fight it was to not fight it, and he started almost immediately down the stairs and into the room with the glass worlds. He let himself be drawn into the center sphere and entered Alyssa's pocket plane.

After passing through the transportation circle that led him into the manor proper, thirty girls all immediately ambushed him with a uniform greeting: "Surprise! Happy Birthday!"

"Well, oh deary my!" Kain replied in mock surprise. "It's actually a surprise birthday party! I am in shock."

"You're not shocked at all!" Kaoru said accusingly, stating the obvious but also obviously put out by this fact.

"Well, you didn't do a bad job of hiding it," Kain replied, glancing around at the mixed faces of his audience. "A 'welcome back' party, very clever, and very natural. But even if I've been busy, I'm well aware of the date; keeping track of that is very important to me right now, for many reasons, none of which have to do with today. It's not like I was stuck in a foreign country for years with very limited contact with anyone I knew and repetitive days in and out all wrecking my mental state. And Mai was so insistent on this very odd schedule of heading out for two weeks, then coming back for this particular week, then heading back out to finish afterward. She never gave anything away, but I suspected it was something like this all along."

"Yeah, that's right," Mai admitted with a sigh. "I was messaging Kagome and Momo about it the entire time, we were coordinating and preparing for it…I had to get you back here in time for this. I hope you aren't mad…."

Kain laughed. "I'm certainly not mad. My feelings are mixed, because I both loathe and crave attention simultaneously, and very strongly. Mostly…I don't know what to think. Is this even proper? You already gave me a birthday party this year…I don't know what to do about celebrating my birthday twice in a year…."

"You can't use that excuse to bug out!" Kanade crowed. "Besides, even if most of them were there, not all of us were! You've been very good about celebrating our birthdays; we have to return the favor!"

"I know. That's why I gave in and came, knowing exactly what was going to happen." He shook his head. "It just doesn't feel…right. Besides which, with the extra four months I got in Arcanus Myrror, the extra months of training I did in Mashiro's domain before fighting Aiden, and all the days I've spent here…I'm probably older than sixteen now, not fifteen like my birth certificate would insist."

"Pointless semantics," Alyssa snorted. "The way you are now, fifteen, sixteen, twenty-three, thirty-five, a hundred…it hardly matters how old you really are. You're a youthful immortal…."

"That's right; it's not like getting older is an accomplishment," Momo put in. "It's the taking a day for all those who care for you to celebrate you that's important. We still celebrate birthdays in the Soul Society, even though most of us aren't really sure what our birthdays are; we come up with some means of making a birthday for ourselves, and it's important for us to celebrate them. It's important for us all to recognize ourselves and each other, friends and comrades, _sempai_ and _kôhai_ , family and lovers. That's why we have to take this day to celebrate you."

"In that case, you could 'celebrate me' any day, not just this one," Kain insisted mildly.

"Don't even start with that!" Kagome responded almost harshly. "This day _is_ your important day, so we have to do it now! Anyway, that's enough philosophical talk about birthdays! I'm surprised Yue- _chan_ didn't join in! Birthdays are for having fun, so let's get this party started already!"

And so it did…Kain alone with thirty girls consisting of his class, Luana, and Kanade's sister Haruna, whom she had dragged along for this, inseparable as they were.

Well, almost alone.

"I'm here, too," Kenjirô declared, finally making his presence known after Kain remarked upon his status, and Kamo, riding his shoulder, greeted Kain as well. "I guess none of the rest of the guys could be bothered, but I'm here for ya."

"Well, some of them can't stand the thought of spending a day here with all these girls, for several reasons," Kamo chuckled. "That'd be Kaji and Inuyasha, and probably Takamichi to a degree, although he sends his wishes and passed along a present. I think Hikaru and Delryn didn't want to 'get in the way'…probably suggestive and not at the same time. But Kenji and I are here because someone has to defend your virtue tonight, right?"

"You say that like I don't live in the midst of them already, every night," Kain remarked. "Anyway, I doubt we really have to worry about that, because this isn't that kind of pseudo-novel. Anyway, good to have you here…."

8-8-8

The first place they dragged Kain off to was the pool. In typical 3-A fashion, many of them jumped immediately into the pool with great whoops and cheers, often dragging their more reluctant friends.

Kain glanced around at them all, all clad in their swimsuits, and at the scene. "So why did we come here?"

"Why, we have to come here now!" Kaoru insisted. "Everyone knows you shouldn't swim on a full stomach, and swimming before eating is a great way to work up an appetite!"

"That's not what I'm asking. I'm asking why we even had to come to the pool in the first place…I'm not all that fond of the water, no offense, Ami. I can't even swim."

This actually brought the group up short, and they stared at him in surprise. "But…I know we saw you swimming before, back when we went to the beach in the summer!" Izumi protested.

"Because you forced me out into the water that one time, yes, and the other time Kaoru swam too far and almost got herself drowned," Kain explained patiently. "But that wasn't really me swimming. I was cheating—using magic, since I can't swim normally. Of course, with my magic, swimming at merfolk-like speeds and even breathing water is simple for me, but I've never enjoyed it. And I've just never learned to even float naturally…it just seems impossible for me."

"Bah! Who cares?" Kanade said dismissively. "Swimming at the pool is optional. The main point is, you're here to ogle all of us pretty girls in our swimsuits, right? What better present can you ask for on your birthday, eh? Eh?"

"Yes, I figured it was something like that," Kain said dryly.

"Delryn's going to be furious that he missed out when we tell him about this," Kenjirô remarked. "Especially when I tell him I pointedly decided not to take any pictures."

"Well, whatever…obviously, you girls are going to have fun, so go ahead. I think I'll sit over there and read something…."

Suddenly Kenjirô pushed Kain into the pool. He disappeared, causing the girls to once again go silent with shock, staring at the ripples that remained, but Kain suddenly surfaced easily and glanced up at Kenjirô with only mild curiosity on his face. "And what, pray tell, was that for?"

Kenjirô suddenly held up a ball and spun it on his finger. "C'mon…just sitting around is boring. With your magic, you can move in the water, right? Then let's just play water polo, if nothing else. Tell me you wouldn't enjoy it." He tossed the ball to his friend and dived in.

Kain caught it easily. "Well…fine then…I guess we can do this…."

8-8-8

After a couple hours of playing in the pool, Alyssa called them out for a sumptuous dinner, with cake and the birthday candles after, which were followed by party games. Since nearly everyone wanted to participate in the games with Kain, they had to choose games that allowed large numbers of players, or that were rapid-fire enough to switch out players quickly, or in teams that were randomly determined (probably) by Alyssa. Regardless, it was a great, exciting party, made all the more exciting the next morning, after they awoke from their long, exhausted slumber…because they still had eight hours to go before they could leave the villa, of course.

But even in a world that extends time by a factor of twenty-four, all good things must come to an end, and eventually they had to leave. Kain remained behind the longest, thanking the girls one by one as they departed, after giving him their gifts—they had chosen to wait, as a group, until the actual party was done before handing them over.

Kain put them all quite easily into his cloak and watched the last of them disappear, with only Alyssa and Miyu remaining. "Your popularity is extraordinary, Kain- _sensei_ ," Alyssa teased him. "Quite a few young men of Japan would kill for it…."

"Yes, I'm sure. In any case…thank you for hosting all the nonsense. I should take my own leave, now…."

"One moment more." Kain turned back to the girl, who had a far more serious expression on her face. "There is one matter that concerns me—there was a presence flittering around the edge of the villa, not quite inside it, but not from outside the glass, either. Some creature, possibly demonic…perhaps it came from the same source as the ones who ran amok during the last festival."

Kain stared in surprise, then looked around, closed his eyes, let his senses ripple out…. "I don't sense anything," he finally said.

"No, and I didn't either…until it touched my villa, my personal territory. It's quite excellent at hiding in the gaps between planes, but I don't know anything more about it. I'm sure it would hardly be a threat to you, in any case, but…something about it, I must admit however it galls me, just sets me on edge." She shook her head and waved dismissively, shooing him away. "Go on. I've had enough of you for now. Go home and open your presents already, birthday boy.

Kain smiled, but turned and left without another word. He gave some thought to Alyssa's warning…but that evening, after opening all the carefully-prepared presents of his various students, he spent some time spreading his senses out to search for this possible intruder, but nothing responded to his searches. He finally gave up and retired to his bed to sleep….

8-8-8

The dark presence stiffened. It had found something interesting, but even so it had lacked the power to access it. Now the chance was gone, and its probings had brought attention to it. It could not afford to be found out…it was still too weak.

But it had gained power…it was no longer completely helpless. It was risky, but it was equally risky to remain outside, unbound, and let the searchers continue their searchings. It was time…it would seek out a place of power where it could feed and grow….

Moving through dimensions indescribable with our modern language, it slipped into the dorm rooms….

8-8-8

Kain glanced around in surprise. He was on a boat. A quick glance around showed that it was some kind of passenger liner, with people sprinkled across the deck near him. A further glance showed the boat was distantly, barely within sight of the shore.

Kain considered for a moment. The last thing he remembered, he was settling down for the night, and now, here he was, dressed in some kind of odd orange vest and grey slacks with a white shirt—perhaps a school uniform of some kind—on a boat at sea. The wind ruffled his air, the salt smell was obvious around him…his senses were quite affected, as if by reality, but something in his magic sense identified the background. It felt just like the Cosmo Entelecheia, and that set his nerves just slightly on edge. He calmed himself and considered the implications. That would mean, essentially, that he was in a kind of magical dream….

"What's the matter, _Onii-chan_? Are you thinking strange thoughts again?"

He turned and glanced down at the speaker. The girl, dressed in a rather casual shirt and skirt, was perhaps two years younger than he was, with red-brown hair tied into four pigtails at the 'corner' of her head, giving the impression of half an octopus. She was looking at him with impish affection and recognition, but he had never seen here before. "I'm sorry?" he asked her.

"Ah, jeez, don't tease Shiho- _chan_ like that!" the girl insisted, hitting him on the back several times. "What's gotten into you?"

 _('Shiho? Doesn't look like the only Shiho I know. Someone I'm supposed be familiar with in this pseudo-reality dream? Unlike the Cosmo Entelecheia, I don't have any knowledge of what this world is supposed to be or what my life was supposed to be like.')_ A sudden mad inspiration struck him, and he turned away from her and willed himself aid, wished for something to give him some information. A small sheet of paper actually appeared in the air, and he snatched it up immediately. It read: 'Munakata Shiho, childhood friend, heir to local Shinto Shrine, Fûka Academy Middle School Second-Year'.

"Well, at least the dream is open to some minor manipulation," Kain muttered.

"What was that? What _are_ you doing, _Onii-chan_?" Shiho demanded.

She didn't appear to have noticed his grasp at a magical reference, and he willed the card to disappear. "No, nothing…." Then he noticed a commotion on the other side of the ship and started that direction.

Some other passengers had apparently spotted a random piece of flotsam that was, in fact, a person, and the crew was working to rescue the castaway. They were just pulling her up when Kain arrived and, flanked by Shiho, pushed his way to the front. He watched as they dragged her onboard—a girl, small and young, but apparently a middle-schooler due to her wearing a white blouse and blue skirt of a sailor _fuku_ style, and…carrying a large black sword with an ornate handle. Kain stared at it in shock, faintly sensing the inherent magic in it…and the inherent malice in it.

They couldn't get it out of her hand, and asked Kain, who was closest, to hold her from behind, under the armpits, while they, from position on the boat they had descended to retrieve her in the first place, attempted to pry the sword from her fingers. They finally succeeded…and the sword reacted—and badly. Mystic red eyes suddenly flashed to life on the surface of the blade, only briefly, and only Kain saw, but the effect was immediate; a cutting wave was released, slicing the robes holding the boat up cleanly and dumping both the boat and the whole rescue crew into the water. Kain stared down in alarm as he continued holding the silent, still girl.

"We're fine!" one called up to him. "She needs help, though! She isn't breathing! She needs CPR!"

Yes, she probably did. She probably could use some magical aid, too, but Kain wasn't sure how much he could really use in this dream…and what the consequences might be, if anyone in the watching crowd would notice. He lay her down, considering all this…and stopped, staring at her shoulder. The cloth was cut around that arm, ravaged by something, although the flesh seemed untouched. The opening in the shirt just revealed the mark on her arm—an almost tattoo-like red birthmark in the shape of a strange comet. A mark he had seen before, first on Mai's breast, and later on at the culmination of his journey in the magical world….

"Here, let me do it!" a voice suddenly insisted, and a young woman pushed herself forward, apparently mistaking his shock and disbelief for dismay or hesitance in performing CPR. The young woman…was Mai. She was dressed in a red shirt and light blue mini-skirt, but it was the same Mai, very well-developed, short orange hair, even those same purple eyes. His shock redoubled, Kain numbly rose and scuttled aside, and Mai assumed his position next to the girl.

Mai stared down at her…at her arm. Apparently she, too, was shocked by the appearance of the mark. Kain coughed slightly to try and rouse her. "I know what I'm doing," she insisted tersely, but she did tear her attention from the sigil and began her ministrations. After some chest-pumping and mouth-to-mouth, the girl sputtered to pseudo-life, remaining unconscious but spitting up water and coughing, and finally resuming normal breathing.

Kain smiled at her. It was somewhat amusing; he had heard, from various discussions the class had had near pools or the beach, that Mai was a certified and trained lifeguard—one of the part-time jobs she assumed during the summer—but he had never seen her employ her skills before. He knew instinctively from her demeanor and reaction to him that this dream Mai was not yet actually acquainted with him, but it pleased him nonetheless that she was here, and still relatively the same Mai.

She suddenly sneezed and shivered…performing CPR had required her to put her own body against the sopping wet girl, and now her front was soaked as well. A boy, perhaps twelve years of age with darker red hair but similarly purple eyes approached and slipped a blue jacket over her shoulders. She smiled up at him. "Thanks, Takumi," she told the boy. Then she glanced over at Kain and frowned. "And…."

Kain had been staring…at Mai. Her sneeze had reminded Kain of her condition, and his gaze had drifted down quite briefly, largely just long enough for him to magically detect the sigil that burned still on the breast of this Mai, under all that clothing. But he was staring at her, perhaps not intentionally, but out of instinct and interest, and Mai did find the attention disconcerting. "Sorry," he said, bowing his head and leaning back away from her. "That was just…quite impressive. It seems you handled that much better than I did. I don't believe we've met. I'm Kain Lockeheart…."

Mai hesitated a moment longer, but finally softened and said, "Tokiha Mai." Then she sneezed again, sighed, and rose. "And I really need to get changed before I catch a cold…."

"Yes," Kain agreed. "You really should."

She shot him another quizzical glare, but then swiftly started to stalk away, young 'Takumi' following her. Kain stared back at her, mulling it all in his head. Then he glanced down at Shiho, who had been shadowing him the whole time. Now she was glaring strongly at him. "What?" he asked with ennui.

"Nothing," she responded, looking away pointedly. " _Baka_ _hentai Onii-chan_."

Kain sighed and turned away. "Whatever…."

8-8-8

They wandered inside the main cabin area and saw Takumi again, sitting at a table by the stairs up to the rooms. He actually smiled and waved when he spotted them, and Kain decided to approach the young man. He introduced himself properly as Takumi Tokiha, Mai's little brother, as they sat across from him, and he happily began to discuss the reason for their presence on the boat. The two of them had recently received grants to allow them to attend a nearby private school, he explained, and they were on the boat to travel to their new school and home. He was in the middle of his exposition when Mai called out his name.

They glanced up at her; she was now dressed in a school uniform, an orange jacket and a dull grey skirt. "Ah…that's our high school uniform," Shiho commented. "So, that school is Fûka Academy…?"

"That's right," Mai replied, coming down and sitting next to her brother. "So, Kain Lockeheart- _san_ again, huh…? And this girl is….?"

"Munakata Shiho," the younger girl replied politely, bowing to her. "I'm sorry for my _baka_ _onii-chan_ 's conduct earlier…."

" _Hai_ , _hai_ ," Kain sighed.

"Ah, that's nothing…but… _onii-chan_ …? But the names are different…different mothers, or…?"

"She just calls me that," Kain informed her. "We've known each other all our lives, apparently."

Shiho reached over and happily grabbed Kain's arm, hugging it to her chest. "But we're just _like_ brother and sister!"

"But…you're not related, and you're traveling on this boat…together…without a chaperone…?" Mai pressed.

"Correct!" Shiho replied, almost happily.

Mai turned to Takumi, a devilish look on her face, and whispered intentionally loudly to Takumi, "Wow, rural people really are _progressive_ , aren't they, Takumi?"

Kain actually smiled slightly. It had been a long time since Mai had been unfamiliar and angry enough with him to act like this. Takumi protested, "You're being rude, Mai…."

"It's all right," Kain replied. "It doesn't matter. She's just a little tag-along. According to the script, I'm taking a trip for the school's Student Council, investigating the possibility of holding our festival on a cruise ship like this. She's just the tag-along who insisted on coming with."

Shiho released him and leaned back, her face marked with (false) sorrow, tears (not really) coming to her face. "What? A tag-along? That's all I am to you?" Then she turned her head away, put her face in her hands, and began to (fake) sob. Occasionally she whipped her head back to make a face at Kain before resuming her sobs.

"Ah, look, he made that girl cry," Mai loudly whispered to Takumi.

"T-totally rude, Mai…."

"In any case, your brother here said you're going to our school now…?"

"That's right." Mai turned her attention back to him and proudly put a hand to her chest. "I will reintroduce myself…I am Tokiha Mai, Takumi's _genuine_ older sister. Pleased to meet both of you."

"Likewise." Kain nodded. "Well, in any case, about this 'rural' new location…."

Suddenly they were approached by a member of the crew, who told them the captain wished to personally thank the two of them for their aid with the castaway, and awaited them on the bridge….

8-8-8

"Why on earth do we have to go to the bridge?" Mai complained as they walked across the deck. "If the captain wanted to thank us, you would think that he would just come to us…."

"Don't know. Maybe he doesn't want to leave the bridge with this fog."

Mai glared at him. "Does that sound like much of an excuse to you?"

"Don't know."

Mai stopped suddenly. Kain ceased his own movement and turned to look back at her. Mai's expression was…mixed. "Really…does anything get to you?"

Kain shrugged. "Well…nothing much, probably…."

"And here I was, trying to give you a chance to make it up to me…."

"Make it up? Ah, is that what you were doing? Well, fine, when we reach the academy, I'll…."

Suddenly the ship rocked from some kind of massive impact. They both immediately began to collapse, but Kain recovered swiftly, then reached out and grabbed Mai, pulling her in close and holding her so she wouldn't fall. Mai managed to catch a glimpse of some four-legged creature flying through the air in a massive jump over their heads by the light of the moon above them.

The shaking stopped and the two stood there for a moment. "Are you all right, Mai?" Kain asked.

"Y-yeah…thanks…but…how long are you going to hold me…?"

Politely and without hurry, Kain let go and stepped back. "Really, now…quite familiar, aren't you? You must be American…."

Suddenly an obviously female figure in a bodysuit and wearing a motorcycle helmet dropped down behind Kain. Mai stared in shock as the figure lashed out with a knee towards the turning Kain….

Kain grabbed the knee easily and pushed off, forcing the woman to fall to her face, catching herself only with her hands. She sprang back to her feet with surprising swiftness, however, and leapt backwards…landing by Mai and wrapping an arm around her throat. She pointed a gun in other hand at Kain…a small pistol with a ridiculously large and round chamber at its back.

Kain started towards her, unhurriedly. "Go ahead," he stated. "I've actually been trained to take that away from you…."

The woman forced herself and Mai back a step and put the gun to Mai's head. Kain stopped his advance and half-raised his hands in semi-defeat. "Okay…no need for that, now…."

"Don't follow us," the girl growled, walking herself and the frightened Mai back to the stairs heading below deck. "This doesn't concern you." Then she disappeared below the deck with her captive.

Kain watched them disappear, still without any discernible emotion. "Doesn't concern me? Then why am I even in this dream?" He considered the sudden assailant…and the wisp of mystic light he saw arising from her lower back, similar to the marking he had already spotted three times earlier that day. Whatever was going on in this dream, he was already in the middle of it….

8-8-8

Her captor forced the frightened Mai to show her to the room where they were keeping their castaway. She shot the door open and shoved Mai into the room, then darted inside…but the bed was unoccupied. The girl, dressed now in a green dress, came dropping from the ceiling on her, swinging that massive black sword she had been holding (but had dropped into the ocean) earlier. The attack was dodged, but the girl's sword flashed again, and the floor collapsed under them, dropping all three into the garage below.

Kain, discreetly and carefully following, watched this and moved to the new hole. The little swordswoman and the gun-toting girl continued dueling, forgetting Mai entirely. He called her attention and helped pull her out of the hole (she climbed on top of a tall truck that was conveniently nearby and he was able to grab her and haul her out). Once she was safely above the garage and in the hall again, she suddenly threw a fit, beating on Kain and demanding answers.

Once Kain had calmed her down, they began to head back to the deck. The fighting had already compromised the integrity of the vessel, and the ship's speakers were calling for all passengers to abandon ship. "Sorry about that," Mai apologized as they hurried on. "Let's just say we're even, now?"

"Huh? Oh, sure…girls have hit me harder than that, anyway."

"…I'm not sure if I should be insulted by that or not. It certainly wasn't Shiho- _chan_ …."

"Hardly. Now, let's get out of here. I hope you don't have anything important you're leaving behind."

Mai began to reply, then suddenly stopped. She struck her head in that odd manner Kain was so very familiar with. "You did forget something, didn't you?"

"Takumi!" she insisted. "He's sick…he needs his medicine! It's in my other skirt, in my room!"

They hurried there posthaste, and Mai dove into her things. The room was somewhat disorderly, with Mai's previous clothes left haphazardly around, and they became more scattered as she dug through them desperately. "It's not here!" she wailed, picking up her skirt and shaking it without success.

Kain spotted a small white case of some sort hiding under Mai's discarded undergarment. He retrieved it carefully. "How about this?"

"That's it!" Mai pointed at the object.

They started to move towards each other…and a flash from below literally bifurcated the whole vessel, right between the two youths. Mai stared in shock as the two halves began to drift away. Kain quickly reached out a hand. "Mai! Jump, quick!"

Mai hesitated, looking at the gulf, and shook her head. "No way. I won't make it. Just take that and get it to Takumi, please." Kain was on the side that was closest to the door, but there was a trapdoor in the ceiling that Mai pulled open and began to climb into. "Just go! I'll make it through somehow!"

Kain watched her go. "You better…even if it's only a dream you," he muttered.

8-8-8

The dream continued. Kain found Takumi and Shiho on a life raft together and managed to join them as the ship went under, without any sign of Mai, and they were all taken to the nearby Fûka Academy. Kain managed to get the disconsolate Takumi to a place of safety inside, mulling over what he had seen…four girls with the same mark Mai had on various parts of their anatomies, including the top of Shiho's head. He didn't recognize the little sword-swinger, but in the battle below her helmet had been split in half, and he recognized the youthful face underneath…what looked like a teenage Natsuki Kruger, principal of Garderobe Academy.

The next morning, Mai and the sword-girl were found in a charred circle at the beach, alive and mostly well. A pair of high school girls Kain also recognized—Yukino and Haruka, previously of Halteese—took custody of her, apparently clueless as to the supernatural nature of last night's events, although Kain noticed the mark on Yukino's body, as well. "Mysteries," he muttered. "What is this…? And how do I get out…?"

F I N

 _Author's Note: The Dream Begins_

 _This great dream, however long it takes to get through it, will be the rest of Act 17, really. Yes, this initial portion is actually Kain being thrust into the role of Yuichi Tate of My-HiME in the first episode of that anime. No, the rest of the dream won't be the whole anime; we're going to fast-forward through it, but Kain living this anime will only be Part 1 of the dream. Kain's got a lot to get through here…._

 _Otherwise, not a lot to say here. Most of the details will be revealed in the work as we go on. Let's just see how it goes…._


	9. Chapter 9

Disclaimer: This is a nonprofit fictional story, a FanFiction based on Ken Akamatsu's Negima. I do not own Negima, or most of the other characters included in this work, excepting where it is stated in the author's notes. It is not intended or presented for any commercial profit or personal gain; it is simply a story written for personal fulfillment and presented for public enjoyment, and as an honest homage to the fine story conceived and written by Ken Akamatsu, as well as all the other (innumerable) works that find place herein (and their authors).

Chapter Eight: Dream Weaver ~Curse of Big Brothers~

The class was noisy as always…and quite excited to have their regular teacher back. All forms of mingled conversations drifted around the class as they continued their usual pre-school antics in the early morning, and a few stragglers came hurrying in almost late. Luana was already seated in the same place she had occupied yesterday, in the front corner by the side desk, ready to observe. Then the bell rang, and the class began to mosey back to their chairs in preparation….

In preparation….

They all sat down without hurry, turned eyes front, and…there was no teacher, no Kain. No one opened the door and strode inside, no voice commanded them to sit, no one asked for role or offered any usual pleasantries. There was, in fact, a rather significant lack of their beloved _Sensei_ , which was quite disquieting. After several moments of shocked silence, whispers began to circulate around the room.

"Where is he? Is he sick…?"

"Did he suddenly just get tired of us and run away…?"

"What's with this? He didn't take off on his 'duty errands' or whatever early, did he?"

"Mai, what's going on?" Miki suddenly demanded rather harshly of her classmate.

"How should I know?" Mai protested. "Kain and I told you everything when we got back. We still have work to do out there, but that's for after this week. Even if he suddenly wanted to get it done, Kain wouldn't…couldn't leave me behind…."

Luana suddenly stood and walked to the front of the class, clapping her hands to gain their attention. "Well, in this kind of situation, a proper teacher—at least, a proper substitute teacher-in-training—would simply take over the class and resume business as usual. But I think that this situation is odd enough (and the surrounding circumstances are serious enough) that we should see if we can investigate this mystery. Shall we head over to _Sensei_ 's room and see if we can find any clues?"

A chorus of cheers and 'Hai!'s greeted this suggestion, and the class surged to its feet and started for the door. Much more reservedly and with her usual exasperation Chisame filed in at the end of the line, but her thoughts were churning, too.

 _('As usual, they're all getting so worked up about everything…but…even I can't pretend that this isn't serious. That idiot wouldn't neglect us all after he's promised to spend at least this week in class…a sickness touching that demonic body of his is impossible…so what's really going on…?_

 _('…I have a bad feeling about this….')_

8-8-8

 _('…It's so strange. So much of this is familiar, and yet so very different._

 _('They are 'HiME', Highly-advanced Materializing Equipment, but rather than the battlesuit-armored princesses of Garderobe, these are simply…in ways, girls with copies of Mai's powers. They summon 'elements' (weapons) and their 'Child', which includes Kagutsuchi…._

 _('The Obsidian Prince is behind this and there's a shadowy organization supporting him. Nagi is one of the most active agents, but this 'Obsidian Star' seems a more localized cult of strange powers than the world-destroying force I just dealt with._

 _('And, of course, there are so many girls here I recognize, some from that other HiME school—Natsuki, Shizuru, Nao, Akane, Chie, I believe that Midori was that 5_ _th_ _Pillar I never met, Yukino and Haruka, and even Mashiro is here with Fumi, as the so-called headmaster of this Academy. Then there's Mai, and…Alyssa and Miyu._

 _('Alyssa was the victim, rather than the creator and ruler of the Searrs Foundation here, a shadow organization trying to supplant the Obsidian Star. Her death was…disquieting, in its own way. I felt sympathy for her here I never could for her demonic self._

 _('It's all a dream, but it's twisted in so many ways. And the twists keep coming…there are twelve of these HiME, thirteen if you include the artificially made Alyssa, and their whole purpose is to participate in this 'Festival' for the honor of the Obsidian Prince. At first, to hone their powers and skills, they were made to battle 'Orphans', lost spirits created with the Star's power and drawn to this prepared ground with all its teenage emotion spilling over. Then the truth was revealed—the twelve are to battle each other in this Festival. The winner gains power, and the loser, she that loses her Child, also loses the person she cares for the very most. At the end, there will be one, who will become the Obsidian Prince's 'Crystal Princess'. In some ways, the scope of this game is more terrible than even what 'my' Obsidian Star was attempting._

 _('But somehow, even with the power I still possess in this dream, I haven't been able to do much of anything. Everything seems to be happening away from me, without my knowledge, and I only find out about it afterward, usually through these damn synopsis notes that appear from time to time. It's infuriating._

 _('And Mai's getting the worst of it. This Mai was a normal, blessedly ordinary girl, just the person Dad and the rest always wanted her to become—parents she loved, even a younger brother to dote on. Although then her story got tragic…the death of her mother, mysterious and unaccounted-for loss of her father, and now she's been pulled into this. All she had left was Takumi…and then, that weird ninja HiME cross-dressing roommate of his was defeated, and that…caused him to vanish. Mai doesn't know what to do, now, and it doesn't seem like there's anything I can do to help her. Even if it's just a dream, I can't bear to see her like this…can't stand to see ANY of this going on…and I just feel…I have to do something….')_

Kain stared at the building. The church seemed, as many Catholic buildings ironically seemed, rather more diabolic than holy, with its dark stone construction and leering gargoyles, and the lack of light cheerily merging from within. Inside, he could feel the powers pulsing. Sister Yukariko, the school's local troubled, too-young nun, was one of these HiME as well, and she had fallen victim to the manipulations of Ichigami, one of the members of that shadowy organization that served the Obsidian Prince. He was going to use her to supplant the Prince, or so he thought….

Kain shook his head. Mai wasn't going to become a victim of that. He hurried inside….

And saw them there. Yukariko, her head uncovered, stood at the back, flanked in the shadows by the puppet-master. Mai stood in the middle of the chapel, unmoving, entranced by something. In front of her was what must have been Yukariko's Child, a white beast that most resembled an elaborate knight chess piece. As Kain watched, it opened its front into two wings, revealing an iron maiden-like orifice within. While Mai was held in its illusion, it was going to devour her….

 _('Not on my watch.')_ "Mai!"

Kain's voice awoke Mai out of her reverie. She panicked as she stared up at the yawning monster, but Kain dived in and swept her aside. It snapped shut on empty air. Ichigami cursed and began to move forward while Kain began to pull the shocked Mai away. Then Yukariko, seeing him, finally made up her own mind. She called her puppet-master's attention, and her Child unleashed its illusion on him. She moved in on the mesmerized man and prepared to kiss him…as her Child took up its place by the two of them, opening its maw and preparing to consume them both.

Mai realized what she was doing and called out in shock and alarm, but Kain insistently pulled her from the scene. The action had upset a pair of lit candelabras and torches, and the oddly not-up-to-fire-code church was already starting to go up in flames. As Kain pulled Mai outside, the vise of the monster snapped shut, and, with its master killed, the Child itself vanished away into green particles.

Mai began to sob and rail at Kain, switching gears repeatedly between the loss of Yukariko and Kain's own presence, as she had repeatedly insisted that Kain not get involved. Kain grabbed both her arms and slowly, gently calmed her. "I'm already in this too far," he informed her. "We've all come too far. The only way out is to finish this…no matter what it takes."

"But, I can't!" Mai cried. "If I do, it's not my life I'm worried about…if I fight, then you…."

"I know." Kain put a hand to the side of Mai's face. "But it's all right. There's nothing that can really stop that now, I think…it's the fate of this cursed scenario. I must admit, I am a bit afraid…I don't know what'll happen to me if I die in this dream, according to the rules of the dream. But there's no preventing it. Regardless of what happens, you have the strength to see this through and finish it, Mai. I've seen it in you before. I know you can. Please…."

Mai stared at him, tears tugging at her eyes, her emotions warring in her, and the yearning she had kept so securely bottled up finally broke through. She closed her eyes, and after a moment began to move her face towards Kain. And Kain….

"Liar."

Mai's eyes snapped open and she pulled her head back in surprise. Kain closed his own eyes and smiled sadly. "Well…about time, Shiho," he said, standing up and turning to her.

There she was, in that white traditional bride's gown, the dark 'crow' Yatagarasu behind her. Desperate for the love of him she called her ' _onii-chan_ ', she had gotten herself injured and subconsciously called on her Child in jealous rage, but now she had finally awoken to it…and the jealousy was fully part of her. Kain had never felt anything more than mild sympathy for this imposed-upon-him 'childhood friend', yet the conditions of her feelings nonetheless tweaked a chord of remorse in his heart, but he buried it and stared at the adversary. "Liar!" she repeated. " _Onii-chan_ …."

Kain shook his head. "No. I'm not your _onii-chan_. You're not my _imôto-chan_. You were never anything to me, really. You're a nice girl, deep down, and I feel sympathy for you, but I never cared anything for you. I've chosen Mai. She's the only one here I ever cared about. Sorry, but that's the truth, Shiho."

"You!" Shiho's anger flared. "It's all your fault! You thief! You give him back to me!"

Mai dashed in front of Kain. "Wait! Shiho- _chan_! We can't do this! No matter which one of us wins, Kain will…!"

Kain shoved Mai behind him. "You can't get through to her, Mai. There's only one way this will end. You have to stop her."

"Disappear," the crazed Shiho murmured, and began to play the ornate flute she carried. Yatagarasu cried out its inhuman cry and leapt into the air, then fired a beam of light from its mouth down at the pair.

Kain raised a hand and created a shield to easily block the attack. "There's no other way, Mai," he informed her. "You have to end this."

Tears again flooded from Mai's eyes. "I can't! Kain, if I do that…! I just can't! Isn't there… something…?"

Kain smiled sadly. "No. There's no way. Oh, well. Guess I'll finally get to do something."

He turned back to the giant crow, which had continued a stream of impotent beams against his shield. He threw his arm aside, canceling the blast and repulsing the beast. Then in an instant he was flying in the air in front of it, and a blade of magic came down and through it, bifurcating it perfectly.

Shiho screamed in pain and rage as the monster began to fall in its two halves, disintegrating. Then the girl toppled forward, right into the arms of Kain, who alighted to catch her. She was already unconscious, and a red light that flared up from the top of her head began to dim and go out. Kain laid her carefully down, then stood and stared down at her. Then he stepped over her, moved past her some distance, and turned to Mai.

The girl stared back at him, then began to hurry towards him. "Kain!"

The sudden pain was very intense. Kain had been subjected to a great deal of punishment over the past year as he had been thrown headfirst into battles over the fate of nations and worlds, but this sharp, stabbing burst inside of him felt more significant than anything he had yet suffered. "And it's only a dream," Kain murmured. "Now, the vital question…will this dream kill me?"

His strength began to fade, and he collapsed to the ground. His ability to move was already restricted. His body was beginning to turn into green light and flake away. "This whole magical death business…always seems like a bad video game," he muttered, smiling slightly, as Mai fell to her knees at his side.

"No!" Mai insisted, tears falling from her eyes on Kain. "You can't die! I haven't even told you how I feel about you!"

Kain stared up at the crying face, still smiling. "Sorry," he murmured back. "Oddly, I can't even hear you anymore. I wonder if a normal death would be like this, too…."

And then, as Mai leaned down to kiss him, he was gone.

8-8-8

There was chaos and clamoring in the hall as the girls jammed up in front of Kain's door. It was locked, but Luana, taking charge of the operation, produced a pair of lockpicks and made short work of it. "I'm rather surprised he doesn't have magical locks or wards here," she commented. "I suppose that's a testament of the faith he has in all of you…I must admit it's more than mine." She smiled coyly at them and pushed the door open.

They thundered inside, and there he was…asleep in his bed. His sleep was not peaceful. As they watched in horrified fascination, he tossed and turned, his face twisting and turning in various expressions of emotional sentiment, but far too rapidly to believe. "What's…going on?" Kanade demanded. "Is he sick?"

"This is the weirdest sleep I've ever seen," Izumi commented.

"What's wrong with him?" Kaoru added.

As the explosions of questions and worry intensified, Yuki's quiet voice cut through the hubbub and silenced it. "He has been entrapped in dreams." The group stopped and turned to the girl, parting to reveal her to the camera and open an avenue between her and Kain. She moved to the edge of the bed and stared down at him. "A demonic being that exists in the walls between realities has nested itself in his soul. It forces him into sleep, and binds his mind to dream-worlds."

"A demonic being…from what!?" Erika burst out in shock and alarm. "The Obsidian Star?"

Yuki shook her head. "This creature has been part of this Reality Sphere long before the Obsidian Star came. It was sealed between worlds by Celestial forces, but the shifting of the orbits of the seven worlds has opened its prison, and it has escaped. Now, it has found a host it seeks to use to regain its power and life force."

"And that's Kain- _sensei_!? No way!" Riku insisted. "There's got to be a way to get him out of this dream!"

"It will be difficult." Yuki turned back to stare at the class. "Kain- _sensei_ is locked inside a realm of dream realities, created by this demon whose very essence is a part of those realities. Normal magic cannot touch him. Only a dreamlike power can interfere in a dream-world of this caliber…."

8-8-8

"Kain- _kun_ …."

"Kain- _kun_ …."

 _"KAIN-_ KUN _!"_

Death was nice and peaceful. Why were they insisting on interrupting it?

Well, the fact that it could be interrupted meant it probably wasn't death. Maybe he was waking up? He recognized that voice….

He opened his eyes and glanced up at his assailant, kneeling by his side. Black robes, black hair tied in a bun clothed by white, brown eyes, definitely familiar…. "Morning, Momo. I must say I'm very glad to see you."

Momo leaned back, blinking her eyes in intense surprise. Kain sat up and took in his surroundings. He was dressed in a light white _kimono_ , the kind the Soul Reapers used when convalescing or sleeping…almost, you could say, Soul Reaper pajamas. He was lying on a simple _futon_ in a Japanese-style room, with _tatami-_ mat floor and everything. "Ah…interesting. Wait, I'm in the Soul Society, aren't I? Ah, I guess I did die. That's a shame. But I guess this isn't so bad as far as outcomes go. I'm rather surprised I became a _hinigami_ , but I'll take it." He turned to stare at Momo, who had been looking at him with wide-eyed shock. He considered her carefully. "…How long have I been out of it? Momo, you grew your hair out again…."

"Are you still sleep-talking, Kain- _kun_?" she demanded, narrowing her eyes. "What kind of dream were you having?" Suddenly she closed her eyes and shook her head. "No, on second thought, considering you're addressing me with such uncharacteristic familiarity, I don't think I want to know. Even after forty years, you're still odd, Kain- _kun_." She rose to her feet. "Hurry and get dressed. Aizen- _taichô_ wants those reports finished by noon." She turned and headed out the door, sliding it shut behind her, but not before staring hard at him through the crack. "Make sure you wake up properly before you come out!" And she slid it shut.

Kain stared after the departed Soul Reaper. Two terms she had used in her exiting rant had frozen his insides solid. _('Forty years? And…Aizen-_ taichô _?')_ He shook his head and sighed. "Oh," he said aloud. "I'm in _another_ dream. Well, I guess that's better than being dead. So, this time the scenario is that I'm a _hinigami_ of the Gotei 13, eh? And Aizen is still around…is he really a good guy this time around, or…well, I just don't have enough information. Guess I should see about trying to fit into _this_ dream, now…."

8-8-8

Kain wandered out and started following Momo. He glanced around in interest—dream or not, this was actually his first time seeing the Seireitei in person….

" _Onii-chan_!"

A smaller form tackled Kain from behind. Kain glanced over his shoulder at the assailant as Momo cried out, "Mari- _chan_!"

"Hiyo, Momo- _chan_!" the girl cried, keeping one arm around Kain's collarbone and flashing a 'V' sign Momo's way. "I need to borrow my _onii-chan_ for a minute, okay?"

"B-but he has to help me finish some reports for Aizen- _taichô_!" Momo protested.

"Ah, don't worry, I'll return him soon enough for that, okay?" 'Mari- _chan_ ' insisted, dragging the unresisting Kain off and away.

The girl was short and slender, about Momo's size all around, really, dressed in the black _shihakushô_ and with short brown hair tied in a cute side-tail. Kain was rather glad; he was afraid, for a moment, that the Shiho girl would be stalking him through dreams, but that fear was now quieted. She finally released Kain when they were out of sight down a thin alley, and said, "So, Kain- _nii_ …did you hear? About Rukia?"

"What about Rukia?" Kain asked carefully, trying to get a sense of her points before jumping to any conclusions.

"She was just apprehended by Byakuya and Renji, and they brought her back here to be tried and executed for the crime of giving Soul Reaper powers to a human! You know what that means, right? It's finally here…Aizen's plot is reaching its climax, and Ichigo and his friends will be here soon to stop it! You met him earlier, right? It's been forty years…but it's finally here…."

"Hmm." Some of this did make sense to Kain, but other parts were gibberish; regardless, it seemed the scenario for this dream revolved around events quite reminiscent of his father's trip to the Soul Society. Still, there were things he needed clarified. "Well…dear _Imôto-chan_ , why don't you explain our situation as if I knew nothing about what's going on…or if new viewers were tuning in to the show. What's the plot point here?"

"Eh?" The girl stared at him in surprise and smiled mischievously. "Oh, so you want to do a segment for 'the viewers at home', huh? Why not? So!"

She posed dramatically. "We, Kain Lockeheart and Marie Lockeheart, were just out in town one day, going to eat together and bemoaning our dull, plain ordinary lives, when suddenly…a hollow appeared! Right in plain daylight, right in front of us, as if we were in that manga! Of course it had to be a dream, we decided, so why not change ourselves into Soul Reapers and help the Soul Reapers that appeared to fight it? So we did, just like that! And then after we defeated it, we fell unconscious…and woke up in the Soul Society! It was _not_ a dream, and now, we had somehow become Soul Reapers and gone into the Soul Society…but it was about forty years prior to the events we knew! With our foreknowledge of the story through the manga, we decided to embrace being Soul Reapers and bide our time, waiting in the shadows for Aizen's scheme to culminate in the appearance of Ichigo, and then help defeat the evil captain! And so here we are now." She turned to Kain with a smile. "You've stayed in the shadows of 5th Company under Aizen and 'Hinamori- _sama_ ', and I stayed with them for a bit before being transferred over to 10th Company under Rangiku- _san_ and Hitsugaya- _taichô_! We've both worked and trained hard to be ready for this moment…and now it's here! Even now, Ichigo and his friends are probably invading the Soul Society...or getting ready to. I guess we'll get a warning when it happens…."

Suddenly an alarm began blaring around them, calling a warning out as invaders entered the Soul Society….

8-8-8

 _('So, this is very interesting…._

 _('As Marie said, a bunch of_ 'ryoka' _have invaded the Soul Society, although they are currently stuck in the Rukongai. It's very similar to my father's 'invasion' of the Soul Reapers' home, but they are immediately on the mission to rescue Rukia. And their leader…is Ichigo Kurosaki, who happens to look just like a warrior Jynx summoned with his scroll in that flashback. How are these dreams determined, anyway…?_

 _('Also, one of his friends is a Quincy named Uryû Ishida, and apparently I met him ten years ago when I saved his grandfather from hollows or something. And I met Ichigo earlier, too, before I joined this dream. Oh, and apparently not only is Marie my flesh-and-blood sister, not a crazy stalker like Shiho, but I have two more sisters, Rose and Adriana, who happened just to not come with us on this amazing trip to Soul Society. In my last dream, I had no connection to anyone or any kind of past, save this annoying stalker would-be little sister/childhood friend. Now, I have a deep backstory with three sisters and a connection to a lot of the people here. And I still don't even get to meet these other sisters I'm supposed to have. How unfair even dreams can be. Crazy, huh?_

 _('And now I have a_ zanpaku-tô _, too. In fact, it's…Kamikaze, Kajirô's sword. I was able to sync with it and enter my inner world to meet 'him', and that was very enlightening. As a part of 'my soul', he actually knows pretty much everything about me, so he knows that this is a dream, but his personal perception still only encompasses this dream world, so he knows nothing about Kajirô or why I've got his sword, but…I do have theories._

 _('Anyway…then there's Momo. She's very troubled by everything that's happened, and…she's so devoted to Aizen. She talked about it, and we saw that in the movie, too, but I've always known her as the sweet and endearing, friendly and supportive girl she's always been, but more than that, as the strangely wise thinker, the big sister, the experienced voice of reason and wisdom. Here, she still is many of those things in many ways…she's even the lieutenant she was always supposed to be…but she's still…so blindly devoted to her 'god'. It's terrifying in some ways…and I wonder if I can do anything about it….')_

"Hinamori- _sama_."

Momo turned to look at Kain in surprise. "W-what? What is it, Kain- _kun_?"

"I need to tell you something, Hinamori- _sama_. I know you won't believe me…what I'm about to tell you is ridiculous, and terrible, and unbelievable…but I swear to you that it's the truth. It's the entire reason Marie and I are here. The truth behind this bizarre execution and the orders around it…behind mysterious events from 100 years ago…and the _ryoka_ invaders. All of it…is this…."

Momo listened in wide-eyed disbelief. In some ways, what Kain suggested was insulting…anyone else would have inflamed her anger. But to hear this from Kain, who had always been by her side, whose devotion and respect for Aizen had always nearly equaled her own…to hear him say such things….

"W-what are you talking about…?" she whispered, numbed. "That's…beyond ridiculous…how could you even begin…? Even as a joke…even from you, Kain- _kun_ …this is…."

"It's not a joke, and it's not anything simple. This is something I know, that I've always known, but of course I could never say anything. But now, on the eve of catastrophe and sorrow…I want to lessen the terrible truth of it as much as possible. That's why I'm telling you. I know you won't believe me, I know I'm taking a terrible risk because if you go to him now and mention what I've told you, he will certainly try to kill me immediately. Maybe I'm hoping for that, too…but more than anything, I don't want to see you hurt…but that's impossible. I know that even hearing this is hurting you so deeply it's terrible. But it's less than what you'll receive if I say and do nothing. That's why. Just remember what I've told you. And when you see the events that come, maybe you'll think back on it, and realize that I'm telling the truth…."

8-8-8

Flashing forward past fairly familiar anime scenes….

Kain and Momo walked carefully through the dark, deserted halls. "Is this really…where…?"

"Yes to them all," Kain said. "Though of course I'm not personally familiar with any of it. Anyway…."

"Kain- _kun_ …Hinamori- _kun_ …welcome."

The two whirled on Gin Ichimaru. Kain immediately put a hand to his sword hilt, and Gin held up his hands in a placating fashion. "Whoa, there…easy, Kain- _kun_. I'm just here…to direct you."

"Then by all means," Kain said easily. "Take us to see him."

Gin led them down into the heart of Central 46's building, where all were forbidden to enter or even approach. And there the master manipulator resided…Aizen himself.

"Aizen- _taichô_ ," Momo murmured in shock. She had been prepared for this…after his 'death', after the letter, after all had happened as Kain had predicted, she had finally decided his version must be truth. Even so, she could scarcely believe he was alive, could not resist the feelings of relief and exultation she felt, could not fight down her devotion….

Kain thrust a hand in front of Momo, interposing himself between his lieutenant and captain. "Well…so protective, Kain- _kun_ ," Aizen drawled. "You served me faithfully for forty years, and I always suspected you might know more than you cluelessly let on…yet I did not believe you understood everything quite so well. Tell me, how long have you known about my work…?"

Kain smiled. "Well…I wonder. It hardly matters." He drew his sword. "This is where it ends, Aizen."

"Is that so?" Aizen smiled mockingly. "You shouldn't make such hasty declarations…Kain- _kun_."

He stepped behind the pair, an expert killing thrust going for Momo's unprotected back at an angle that likely would have speared both of them. Kain, however, was there nearly at the same moment and repelled him easily. Aizen stared at him in shock as Kain leveled his sword once again. "So…" Aizen began.

"That's right," Kain agreed. "Even in this dream world, there's no way you'd allow a subordinate to rise in your ranks without subjecting them to Kyôka Suigetsu. But I guess I never did tell you the true power of my _zanpaku-tô_ …of Kamikaze's Wind of Balance. It's the perfect counter to your abilities…a protective wind that prevents illusions, poisons, and other status affects from maligning me or those I choose to protect. Right now, that sword of yours is only so much steel." He shifted his stance. "Truthfully, I wanted to settle this in a more secure setting, alone, but Momo deserved to see the truth with her own eyes, with her own ears, especially after she chose, despite everything, to believe in me and my words. Now…."

"Is that so? It's true that with the easy way out of my Kanzen Saimin neutralized, this battle between us would likely be prolonged too much. So, if that's what you wish…shall we simply talk while we wait for a better final stage to reach us?" He turned with a smile to the two new arriving captains, Tôshirô (with Marie flanking him) and Retsu Unohana (with her lieutenant at her side). "After all, I'm glad you could also join us, my dear fellow captains…."

8-8-8

Fast-forwarding just a bit more….

Aizen brought his sword down towards the wounded Renji, but Ichigo was there, his black _Bankai_ blocking Aizen's sword. Aizen stared in surprise and withdrew as Ichigo counter-attacked, but he simply watched as Ichigo, Renji, and Rukia began bickering. "Sorry," Gin said. "I saw him coming, but I didn't want to interfere, so I let him through."

"It's all right," Aizen replied. "One or two more ants makes little difference now. I can trod on two as easily as one…."

And then Kain dropped from the sky on top of him, swinging. Aizen dodged, and those on the scene took in the new arrival. "Hey, even with the distractions down below, I made it in time to party," Kain remarked. "This might actually be fun. In this dream, I might actually get to do something great that my dad did: kill Aizen. I'll let you help if you want, Ichigo, since I think you're actually supposed to be the hero in this metaphor."

Ichigo, actually shown in our story's camera for the first time (at least since that cameo in the flashback of the Red Wings) in his black _shihakushô_ variant with his orange hair and black katana, stared at Kain in angry surprise. "Just what do you mean by that, anyway, Kain? When did you take charge?"

Before Kain could reply, Aizen interjected, "How good to see you again, Kain- _kun_ …but if reinforcements are here, I should call on my own aides…."

Gin and Tôsen leapt on Kain from behind. He cut them both down with crippling strikes in an instant. Aizen's face was once again a stare of shock.

Kain snapped his sword down twice. "Wow…I don't know just how this dream is working with my powers, how much the Soul Reaper stuff is influencing me, but I really feel powerful. With this sword, I feel almost invincible…shame I can't take it with me, but that would probably just get Kajirô depressed even if I could, so I'll just have to enjoy it while I have it. Boy, he has a _great_ sword." He stepped next to Ichigo and took a defensive posture next to him. "Anyway, Ichigo, I'm not trying to take over, I'm just saying you can't take him alone as you are now. But together we could probably get him. You ready?"

"Of course!" Ichigo insisted.

Aizen sighed, then smiled broadly, stretching his hands out welcomingly. "Very well, then. Come at me, both of you. I wasn't planning on it, but I'll do some weeding today…."

Both flashed in, equally fast. Ichigo came in on Aizen's left flank, but Aizen reached out his bare hand to grab Ichigo's sword. Then Kain was on his right flank, and he was forced to parry that attack. Then Kain suddenly dropped low and kicked out at Aizen's foot, taking him off-balance, and Ichigo managed a land a light slash on Aizen's side even as he slipped aside.

Hissing, Aizen lashed out at both of them with remarkable speed, but both fell back and avoided the strikes. Aizen took to the air, and both his foes pursued him, slashing repeatedly and then falling back for his ally to take advantage of the distraction. Aizen still managed to fend them off beautifully, and after he managed to counter Ichigo with a handstrike after one exchange, he prepared to deliver a decisive blow….

And then a blast of ice interrupted his attack, again forcing him to retreat. He glared at Tôshirô, but before he could even begin a snide commentary, there was another blast of energy from the other side.

"Rise from the ashes, Hô-Taiyô [Sun Phoenix King]!" cried Marie. Her sword became an elaborate glaive with a moonlike blade and a small dagger-like extra behind it, and it erupted in flame. Marie swung it, and a blast of flame flowed out to engulf Aizen. He raised a hand to create a shield of _reiatsu_ to repulse the flame….

And Kain and Ichigo impaled him simultaneously from opposite sides. He gasped out blood and went limp, despite some final struggles. Ichigo and Kain slowly descended and alighted upon the ground before they withdrew, pulling their swords from his body; by then, he was lifeless as he slumped to the ground.

"Aizen… _taichô_ ," Momo whispered. She had arrived on the scene about the same time as Marie and Tôshirô, and now, as she looked on, the rest of the Soul Reaper army began to arrive a piece at a time to stare at the handiwork of the two strange heroes.

"Well…normally I think we'd let things play out," Kain murmured. "But I think this is a good time to end this dream…I'm sure I have a good out for this." He reached into Aizen's robe and pulled out the same device he remembered seeing his father retrieve. Then he started for Rukia, calling her name.

As Rukia turned to him in surprise, he activated the item, opening the hole in Rukia's form and allowing the Hôgyoku to emerge. Kain took it in his hand, leapt quickly away, and held it up. "So, this is Aizen's sought-after wish-granting stone," Kain murmured. "It should have no trouble bringing an end to this particular dream world, at least…."

And, using his senses to thoroughly probe the device, he invoked its power, and light filled the world….

8-8-8

Hinagiku stared at the assembly in shock. "Are we sure…this is going to work…?"

"Well, it's all hypothesis for now," Caria admitted. "But it's a neat idea! This device of mine, the Dream Viewer, should theoretically allow one to see the dreams of another person. By integrating it with Miki's artifact and Chisame- _san_ 's artifact, with their connection to Kain- _sensei_ , we should be able to get inside his dreams, even if only to thoroughly inspect them!"

"That's right!" Kanade agreed enthusiastically. "I remember, you know! Back when you were keeping things secret from me, Chiucchi's artifact allowed Kaoru and me to join her in Cyberspace where we battled the copy of Miyu for control of the academy's network! I've figured out what all that was about by now! This should be the same thing, pretty much, right?"

 _('I hate to admit it, but there's_ some _merit in this idea,')_ Chisame thought. _('At least, it's better than anything else we got right now….')_

"My artifact will do the scouting, so we're going in," Miki said.

"The Baka Rangers will lead the way," Riza agreed.

"Here we go!" Izumi finished.

"Are you really sure?" Ami asked. "It could be dangerous in this dream realm…it is a demon's world, after all…."

"It's just a dream, so it should be fine, right?" Riza scoffed. "Fire it up, Chiucchi!"

Chisame sighed. "Right. Fine, here we go…."

"Beginning the data/dream transfer!" crowed one little mouse.

"Program start up!"

"Victims identified and being processed!" continued a third.

"Dream invasion commencing!"

"Wait a minute!" Miki began. "What's this about 'victims'…!?"

And there was a flash of light.

8-8-8

" _Onii-chan…Onii-chan_ , get up!"

"Up and at 'em, Kain- _nii_!"

"You can't sleep forever, Kain- _onii-chan_!"

Kain sighed in his semi-sleep. He had actually hoped that the second time would be the charm, that his victory over Aizen and his use of the Hôgyoku would get him out of this dream sequence, but these strange voices made it plain that he was still sleeping. They were even calling him ' _onii-chan_ ' again. Really, what was with the big brother obsession here…?

He finally gave in to the insistent voices. He opened his eyes and sat up, then looked sullenly over…and was brought up slightly short by their appearance. It was Miki, Riza, and Izumi…not a huge surprise there, since his dreams had already involved lots of people he knew, but these three were currently calling him ' _onii-chan_ ' and were dressed…in what seemed to be boys' high school uniforms.

"We've got lots of work to do today," Miki insisted. "You can't just stay home and play your galge video games all day."

"We have to close the holes in people's hearts today!" agreed Izumi.

"Let's go!" Riza insisted.

"Fine, fine, whatever…but why are you three dressed like boys…?" Kain demanded suspiciously.

"Because we go to an all-boys school, of course!" Riza declared.

"We, the three devil sisters, are here as your contracted agents of the Runaway Spirit Squad," explained Miki. "We have to capture the runaway spirits that are lurking in the holes that appear in the hearts of young men."

"Your job is to drive those spirits out by closing the holes in those hearts with the power of love!" Izumi finished.

"Wait, what…?"

"It's just as you imagine!" Riza cackled. "You have to do all in your power to make these boys fall in love with you so their hearts will be satisfied and the evil spirits will be driven out! Now, let us…."

"NO FLIPPIN' WAY! I REFUSE! I UTTERLY REFUSE! I WILL NOT GO ALONG WITH THIS MESSED-UP SCENARIO FOR A SINGLE SECOND!"

Kain suddenly raised a hand above his head, pulsing with enormous amounts of magic energy. As the three should-be girls began to withdraw in panic, Kain threw it onto his bed right in front of him….

8-8-8

"Ah! Kain- _sensei_ 's gone into a seizure! Something's wrong!"

"Ah! The Bakas have gone into seizures! Something's _very_ wrong!"

Caria's device exploded. Chisame disconnected her laptop from it in the same instant, desperately saving it from a similar fate, and her mice began to chatter and moan excitedly.

"W-what's wrong!? Were they attacked!?" Riku gasped in fright. "Will they be all right?"

"More importantly, will Kain- _sensei_ be all right!?" Risa demanded. Her sister spared her a small glare over her apparent lack of concern for her classmates (even if they were the Baka Trio).

"They will recover shortly," Yuki intoned. "The demon perceived their invasion and tried to entrap them in a new dream with Kain- _sensei_ , but Kain- _sensei_ rejected the world before it could begin to develop…that action inadvertently saved those three from being trapped in the dream loop with Kain- _sensei_. They entered, but had no chance to have their own cognizance of the situation before they fell in this manner."

"So, this way is barred to us," Yue remarked. "Can all we do…is there nothing to do but wait and pray for Kain- _sensei_ to come out of it on his own…?"

Yuki did not reply to this. She continued staring at Kain.

8-8-8

Kain awoke to the sound of the alarm. He immediately sat up and glared around at his surroundings…but for now they seemed harmless. Still not his room—he was in a very elaborate and well-furnished room, a room that looked like it belonged in a mansion. He silenced his alarm and then regarded the time…three-thirty. _('Really? Why am I such an early riser in this scenario…?')_

His closet consisted mainly of a certain type of suit…one he would have associated with a butler. He had seen similar such suits on several different butlers that served the rich folks of Mahora. _('Well, if this is a butler suit, that would make me some sort of manservant…so I guess I have work to do. Normally I'd be adverse to such work, to be honest, but I think right now I'm willing to go along with this scenario as long as it doesn't become a nightmare like the last one….')_

He dressed and exited his room…and was hailed by a youthful, beautiful maid in a very chaste maid outfit, with curly brown hair and deep brown eyes. "Ah, Kain- _kun_ …you're up as early as usual. Your devotion is inspiring."

"Is it?" Kain replied.

"Yes. After all, you always were an earnest, hardworking man (albeit horribly unlucky), desperately slaving away at any jobs you could get ever since you were a small child, working like mad to support your deadbeat degenerate gambler parents. But then, after they abandoned you on Christmas Eve with a debt of 150,000,000 yen, you tried to kidnap a young heiress to ransom her for the money to settle your debts. However, she ended up mistaking your overly-polite attempt to kidnap her as a sudden confession of love and fell head-over-heels for you, and after she was snatched by another pair of would-be kidnappers, you rescued her yourself, further cementing her devotion to you. In return for your gratitude and to keep you close to her, she hired you as her personal butler and even paid off your 150,000,000 yen debt herself. Now you have agreed to work for her until you have repaid that debt through your wages, and work with this Maria to take care of her…and, by the way, the young Sanzen'nin Nagi- _ojô-sama_ still doesn't know that you actually did attempt to kidnap her yourself."

Kain stared at her. "That's quite a descriptive synopsis of my…situation," he remarked.

Maria smiled back. "Well, it's important to restate everything every once in a while, for our readers back home."

"I see…incidentally, you called yourself Maria…you don't happen to be my little sister, are you?" _('After all, Marie is simply French for the Spanish form Maria, both of which are the equivalent of 'Mary'….')_

"Goodness, what are you talking about, Kain- _kun_!? I'm seventeen, you know, and older than you, so of course I can't be your little sister!"

"Fine, fine…but, ah, the Nagi- _ojô-sama_ , does she call me _'Onii-chan'_ …?"

"Heaven's no! What is with you, Kain- _kun_? Are you developing a complex where you want to be called _onii-chan_ …?"

"No, no, that's not it. Just checking. Now…."

"Right…we should continue our usual early-morning work." Maria gave explicit details to Kain, who was grateful for the whole rundown. He was, indeed, in a mansion, and it was huge, he soon found, even though Maria insisted this was one of the smaller Sanzen'nin abodes.

 _('Sanzen'nin…I think I've heard that name before,')_ Kain thought as he went to work, swiftly dusting and cleaning his designated areas before heading to the kitchen to prepare breakfast for his as-yet-unseen master. _('Well, if this dream is anything like the previous three, I'll probably see many familiar things and people I recognize, even while it's all messed up. In any case…._

 _('What I really want to know is…just how much of this do I have to go through before I can get out of this dream…?')_

F I N

 _Author's Note: Dream Invasion and Big Brothers_

 _And so the dreams are in full swing! I have a specific purpose in them, as I will relate…._

 _I'll actually wait another chapter before going into full detail over the whys of the whole business, but I can hit some major points here. We open with the My-HiME story, finishing it up very swiftly. Naturally, especially since I have a lot of dreams planned, I can't just do the entirety of all the anime, so I'm skipping through a bunch. Many of my readers will already be familiar with the anime in question, and/or I already have near copies of the events that happen herein placed in these earlier pages, so I can skip a lot of stuff. In My-HiME, the intro episode to that show (still with some fast-forwarding) made a nice way to introduce this dream-curse-world, showing Kain's sudden arrival and reactions, and then finishing it up with Kain, in the place of Yuichi Tate, dying at the point Tate also vanished, after the defeat of Yatagarasu. Kain doesn't need Mikoto to come in and finish it; he has the power to do it himself._

 _But it doesn't get him out, it just changes gears, placing him in the world of Bleach. This is actually based, not on the regular Bleach universe, nor on the one connected to the MSK world, but the original FanFiction Bleach world I envisioned, where my sister and I, as Marie expressed, were semi-accidentally pulled into the Soul Society, but enough in the past that we could use our manga foreknowledge to immerse ourselves into the Soul Reapers' realm and make preparations against Aizen. Of course, superhero Kain still takes things a little more differently than the Ronnie in that (semi-)original story does, and decides to take and use the Hôgyoku to finish the dream._

 _The third dream is a joke and homage to The World God Only Knows, which actually inspired this whole scenario. Right after the Goddess Arc of that manga, as a prelude to the final arc, 'Keima in the Past', Keima gets trapped in a series of dream universes, alternate versions of events and settings of the TWGOK manga. As a brief Synopsis, Keima Katsuragi is known as 'The God of Conquests', as he is the ultimate at (totally clean and pure, non-porn) girl-getting Visual Novels, but in his universe there are devils in Hell and goddesses in Heaven who work on Earth. Actually, they are in a relatively peaceful period, as, with the help of a group of goddesses called the Jupiter sisters (most of whom are named after male Roman deities, such as Mercury, Mars, and Vulcan), the 'New Devils' overthrew the evil 'Old Devils' and sealed them away, allowing them to establish a more peaceful, organized Hell that doesn't torment man. Of course, there are throwbacks amongst them trying to overthrow the government, but they don't factor in until late in the manga, and actually that goes for the goddesses, too. Certain of the sealed old spirits escaped and have invaded the world, and the devils established a Runaway Spirit Squad to go track them down and reseal them…however, these demons hide themselves by entering the hearts of troubled girls, girls that have 'holes' in their hearts. They only choose girls, because if the girl becomes pregnant, they can be reborn using the body of the child. The devils themselves can find the spirits but can't normally extract them, so they contract mortals who can fill those holes in their hearts and force the devils out. One clueless, useless, clumsy devil named Elsie is somehow promoted from cleaning devil to Runaway Spirit Squad member, and her boss directs her to this internet personage called 'The God of Conquests', who can 'get any girl', as the internet boasts loudly. Little do they know, it would seem, that Keima only likes his 2D game girls, and is basically Sheldon Cooper when it comes to reality and real girls, but when he receives the cryptic email from the boss and proudly accepts her challenge to work for her 'if he really can get any girl', he becomes Elsie's buddy and has to help her fill the holes in the hearts of these girls by making them fall in love with him. If he fails to live up to his part of the deal, the magic choker that was placed around his throat by the contract will constrict and behead him, so he swiftly has to learn to apply his video game romance skills to real life and charm the devils out of the hearts of these girls (who luckily, at least at first, forget all about his romancing once the devil is evicted and captured by Elsie). I didn't actually bring in any characters from that manga, even though there is a fine collection of girls in the work, but oh well. In any case, after finding the girls that have the goddesses inside them and saving them from the evil devil organization, Keima is entrapped in a series of dreams that take reality and spin it around in various ways; in one of the worlds is this scenario Kain saw, where Elsie is pretending to be a boy so that she can help Keima at an all-boys school, trying to get demons out of the hearts of boys, and Keima reacts to this world almost as violently as Kain does (but without magical powers to blow it up)._

 _Elsie insinuates herself into Keima's life by pretending to be his sister, the long-lost illegitimate child of his always-working-overseas father. A running joke is that Keima's mom, a violent former gang member and biker, is infuriated by her husband's supposed infidelity and calls him up to rake him over the coals and refusing to hear his side, before doting on Elsie and acting like her own mother…and as Elsie's fellow devils begin to get involved with Keima and come over to bother him or discuss strategies with Elsie and Keima, each devil girl introduces herself as another illegitimate offspring of the poor unknown father and further infuriating the overly violent mother. Elsie, in any case, loves her_ Onii-chan _and is quite devoted to him despite an actual lack of actual relation…so when I threw this scenario in third, as I always planned, I suddenly realized I had a running theme in the first three dreams—_ onii-chan Kain _. First we had Shiho Munakata, who treated Tate/Kain as her_ Onii-chan _, then we had Kain's pseudo-sister, Marie (in the original Kain's universe, he does have these three sisters, older Rose and younger Marie and Adriana) in the Bleach universe, and then I had Miki, Riza and Izumi in the place of Elsie for the joke dream, and thus they could call Kain_ 'Onii-chan' _, too. This will be a running gag throughout the rest of his dreams…he's going to have some issues with being called_ Onii-chan _._

 _In any case, let's continue on with this mega-epic-psychedelic dream journey…._


	10. Chapter 10

Disclaimer: This is a nonprofit fictional story, a FanFiction based on Ken Akamatsu's Negima. I do not own Negima, or most of the other characters included in this work, excepting where it is stated in the author's notes. It is not intended or presented for any commercial profit or personal gain; it is simply a story written for personal fulfillment and presented for public enjoyment, and as an honest homage to the fine story conceived and written by Ken Akamatsu, as well as all the other (innumerable) works that find place herein (and their authors).

Chapter Nine: Deep in Dreams ~Worlds without End~

"First period is almost over," Hinagiku remarked. "Our other teachers will be expecting us in class, regardless of Kain- _sensei_ 's condition…."

"But we can't just leave him here while he's like this!" Kanade insisted, and a clamor followed as many members of the class backed up the dorm supervisor's declaration.

"Really, what can we do, though?" Chisame countered. "No magic or tech we've used has been able to influence _Sensei_ or get into his dreams one way or the other. We're just sitting around uselessly, wringing our hands and hoping that he'll get better. Now, I'm not one to preach about going to class—I'd certainly skip more if I could get away with it—but I know that if _Sensei_ were able to tell us, he'd want us to leave him alone here and take care of our classes."

As the group began to stir uncomfortably, Luana offered, "I don't have any classes to attend or teach at the moment. You all may not yet think much of me, but I can keep an eye on Kain- _sensei_ in case there are any changes. Would that be all right?"

Again muttering flowed through the class as they considered this offer, mostly with reluctant favor. Nodoka moved to her and took both her hands. "P-please, Luana- _san_ …and if there's any change, please let us know…."

"I'll contact you," Luana assured them. "Now, off to class with you! Hurry, hurry!"

Reluctantly, slowly, the girls filed out and headed back to their class building. Luana watched them all leave; then she pulled a chair over by Kain's bed and sat in it, watching him. "If there is anything that could penetrate that dream world that has captured you, it would be the Undreamt World," Luana remarked softly. "A shame we don't have it here with us now. But you'll be fine…won't you, Kain- _kun_?"

8-8-8

"Hmm?" Kain turned quizzically to Maria. " _Bentô_?"

"Yes…Nagi forgot it," Maria sighed. "Really, I'm not sure…."

" _Ojô-sama_ goes to Hakuô Academy, right? I'll take it to her," Kain volunteered.

"Eh? Ah, but…."

"No, it's no problem," Kain insisted. "Hakuô is one of the more famous schools of this region, second only to Mahora Academy, right? I'd like to take a look at it anyway, so this will be a perfect opportunity. Besides, I am _Ojô-sama_ 's First-Class Butler. Such a thing is normal for me." He gave Maria a dazzling smile.

Maria stared at him. "B-by all means, then," she finally said, handing over the _bentô_. "You…do know how to get to Hakuô, don't you?"

"I've studied up on it," Kain replied. "I won't be long."

 _('Well, this will get me out of the house,')_ Kain thought. _('Not that this job is too demanding, really, especially since I can still use magic when Nagi and Maria aren't looking. And Hakuô_ is _a rather famous school. I heard several of the girls were almost sent there…._

 _('…Which includes the Baka Trio. That reminds me of the last troublesome dream…but anyway, I haven't seen any sign of them yet. The only person I recognize so far after being here for two weeks is actually Isumi Saginomiya, who happens to be Nagi's best friend. Interesting…._

 _('Well, let's see what trouble I can get up to at Hakuô, shall we?')_

Kain arrived at the gate to the great complex and stared at the sprawling near-city before him. "Well…it certainly isn't as grand as Mahora, but it's nothing to sneeze at. It's still larger than the campus and dorms at Caelar….

"In any case, I shouldn't hang around like a suspicious person. I better get inside and find…."

"Halt, Suspicious Person!"

Kain froze at the sound of the voice…not from its demanding nature, but from stomach-sinking recognition. _('No…it couldn't be….')_ He slowly turned to see….

Yukiji Katsura glared at him with a devilish look of triumph. "What do I find so early in the morning but a shady-looking invader!? You won't enter the school grounds on my watch! If I let an intruder enter the grounds, my salary will be reduced, and I can't bear to have it reduced any further!"

Kain sighed. "Listen, Katsura Yukiji- _sensei_ …."

Yukiji jumped. "What!? How do you know my name!? Who are you!?"

"Not important. I'm not a suspicious intruder; I have business here. I'm Sanzen'nin Nagi…."

Yukiji lashed out with her bag, but Kain managed to avoid the strike from sad practice. "There's a limit to credit cards and lies!" Yukiji seethed. "Nagi may be a flat-chested brat, but she is a girl! You're certainly not her!"

Kain sighed again. "Well, obviously this is going to go nowhere no matter what I say, so I'm just going to ignore you and dash off into the school grounds…like this." And Kain charged through the gate before Yukiji could stop him, leaving her howling on his heels for only a short time before he lost her.

Kain wandered about the grounds rather normally, seeing no need to try to imitate Solid Snake. "Well, as a teacher, if Yukiji were a normal human being, I could have asked her where Nagi is, but seeing as she's like that, I suppose I'll just have to search around. Oh well. It'll give me an excuse to nose around and explore…."

He glanced at the strangely familiar tower through the trees of the grove he had subconsciously entered. "Ah…a clock tower. It looks just like the one at Mahora. Heh. I wonder if the view is as good? I bet that I might actually be able to see Nagi if I could look around from up there…."

"You can't go up there, Kain Lockeheart- _kun_. That area is off-limits, save to members of the Student Council."

Again the familiar voice froze Kain in his tracks. "Of course…this." He muttered. "Oh well…both the scenario and the person involved are more pleasant." He glanced up at the girl in the tree. "Hello, Katsura Hinagiku- _san_."

Hinagiku looked down at him in surprise. "Oh…you've heard of me? I suppose your master must have mentioned me?"

"Yes, let's call it that," Kain agreed. "But you know who I am…?"

"Well, naturally. Everyone has already heard of the new Sanzen'nin Family Butler, who has a poor face and godlike bad luck but who is also as powerful as a Gundam and a superman who is capable of anything."

 _('The rumors in this dream world are the best ever,')_ Kain thought. Aloud, he continued, "Well, I hate to feed rumors, and I also hate to show off, but I would rather leave off the compliments and get down to business…."

And he leapt onto the tree branch next to the stunned Hinagiku, laid hold of the girl, and leapt back down again, so quickly and easily that even Hinagiku took a moment to recover from it.

"T-that was…" she murmured, then shook her head and tried to compose herself. "That was rather bold of you, Kain- _kun_. Laying hands on a girl you just met?"

"Oh? You didn't want down?"

"W-well, y-yes…but how'd you know…?"

"Lucky guess. I'd rather do that than have you jump and land on me, you know? In any case, if you ever need any help, like that, just ask, and I'll rescue you."

Hinagiku's eyes danced merrily. "Oh? Really? How bold…."

And since these pages have already recorded an event rather like this, we shall move on….

8-8-8

 _('I've been in this dream for almost six months now; I was in the first dream with Mai almost nine. The second dream with Momo and the Soul Society only went a couple days, and the third dream blew up before any time passed, but still…I've been in here a long time. I can only assume that the flow of time 'outside' is almost negligible, since all this is taking place inside my mind, and it seems likely, but still…._

 _('Anyway, things have been interesting with Nagi. Hina, her sister, and the Baka Trio are all here as well, as well as a few of the other Mahora teachers, like Kaoru-_ sensei _. It's interesting, but I'm hoping I can find the trigger to get me out of this one soon…I'm surrounded by an entirely new crop of girls who want my attention, and whatever role I've assumed in this story draws them like honey. Sometimes I wish I really was as clueless as a Shonen anime character about these things…._

 _('Anyway, here we are in Athens, after spending some days on Mykonos Island, in the Aegean Sea, for Golden Week. Even Hinagiku came, thanks to that Ayumu girl dragging the poor thing along. What an interesting trip…._

 _('…But something isn't right here, and I'm not talking about the time-travel escapade from the other night….')_

It was dark out and the stars danced in the night sky above, but Kain wandered about, drawn by something indescribable. As he wandered, a new sensation hit him, and he snapped his head up. A castle loomed on a cliff just above him…he could have sworn it wasn't there a moment ago.

He climbed up to it and made it to the wide field of flowers. Standing there was a woman…a young woman, perhaps sixteen years old but quite well-endowed and in a black dress that was cut just around the chest to accentuate the fact. She was blond and beautiful, with a long ponytail in back tied with a black ribbon and two blond pigtails shaped like drills coming down as front bangs on either side of her face. She stared at Kain with a severe look. Something about her was mesmerizing, and Kain tried to get his head around it. In this 'scenario' she was probably important to his current existence, although naturally he wouldn't know anything about it without conjuring up a piece of script. But there was something more…something brilliant….

…And something very, very dark, indeed.

"Do you happen to have a habit of getting lost in other people's flower gardens?"

Her sudden demand cut through Kain's mental gears and snapped him back to reality, dispelling the glamour. "What?"

"But unfortunately, this is the flower garden to my house," the young woman continued.

Kain glanced at the 'house'. "So you live in this…castle?"

"That is what I just said." The girl turned away, but glanced back over her shoulder at him. "I don't know who you are…but please leave."

Kain stood still, however, even as she turned and started away. After a moment she stopped and glanced back at him with a look that was equal parts accusation and curiosity.

"You said I have a 'habit' of getting lost in gardens," Kain finally replied. "That kind of speech is odd, and would only be used if you had seen me get lost in such a garden before. In other words, you just lied when you said you don't know who I am…you do know, don't you?"

The look turned into a fierce glare. "You're mistaken. I said to leave."

"I don't think so. I think…I may have finally found what I'm looking for." He started towards her.

She whirled back to fully face him and backed up in alarm. "N-no, wait! D-don't come any closer!" But Kain didn't heed her words….

Suddenly a young man in a butler outfit, with dark skin and very light hair, leapt in front of Kain. "Machina!" the girl cried as he lashed out at Kain.

Kain caught the foot easily and shoved 'Machina' back. "How fierce," he murmured.

"You…I won't let you," Machina growled. "You're the presence that causes Athena pain…and I won't let anyone hurt her."

"You shouldn't try it," Kain replied. "I can tell you're not human, but even if you're just part of the dream, I'd rather not hurt you, and you don't stand a chance of beating me."

"Hah…say that after you're on the ground!" Machina enthused, ignoring Athena's protests and leaping in at Kain.

Kain put him down with a savage thrust right to his stomach, and he crumpled up without another sound. "Sorry about doing that to your servant," Kain said mildly. "In any case, he called you Athena, right? Would that make you Athena Tennos, young chairman of Hakuô Academy? Hinagiku mentioned you."

Athena glared at him. "Really? Hinagiku mentioned me…but you don't know 'Athena'? You don't know 'A-tan'?"

"I guess that means you do know me. I don't remember you, though, although I probably should, but that's the half-baked nature of these dream worlds. It seems from your tone and nature that I must have hurt you badly in the past, and I regret that…but there's not much I can do about that now. Well, except maybe this." He reached down his shirt and pulled up the amulet hanging from the string around his neck—called a 'King's Jewel', he had been given it by Nagi's grandfather, the head of the impossibly rich Sanzen'nin family, and it had become the proof of inheritance that Nagi enjoyed. Anyone who wished to take Nagi's inheritance now had the requirement to take the jewel from Kain, and he had spent some good portion of his time over the last few months fending off ridiculous personages who were after the Sanzen'nin fortune. It was also, however, a stone with dark and mysterious powers that he had been forced to quell…and he sensed a mystical connection between this stone and the girl, and her castle, too.

Athena tensed as the stone reflected the light of the moon and stars. She began to shiver. "N-no…Kain…don't bring that out…just take it and go! Get out of here…! Before…!"

Kain looked at her curiously. "Well…this stirs a compulsion in you? How interesting. I think I won't go, then. I think I'll stick around and deal with whatever it is inside you that wants this so badly…."

And then, right on cue, a black shape came roaring out of Athena. It took a manifested form of an upper torso of a demonic spirit/skeleton hybrid, its lowest point rising directly from Athena's shoulders. As Athena moved, so moved this shadow spirit. "Give me…the King's Jewel…!" insisted the beast, partly with Athena's voice but mostly its own dark, monstrous echoing voice.

Kain pulled the jewel from off his neck and clenched it in his left hand as he readied himself. "I'm going to say…no. Instead, I'll just blast you out of that girl and save her. How about that?"

The beast roared and came at him. Monstrous power threatened to engulf him even as the gigantic hand merely approached to crush him….

 _('This thing is actually pretty strong. Before I got trained by Aiden, it probably would have been able to kill me, but in this dream I still have all my power, so….')_

Kain thrust out a fist towards the oncoming foe and released his power. It blasted the monster, tearing it from Athena in one go and sending out a ripple of force that blasted through and destroyed the castle as well. The creature gave a blood-curdling scream of rage and denial as it vanished into nothingness, and Athena collapsed unmoving to the ground.

"Sorry, but I'm way too OP for this low-level stuff," Kain muttered.

"Oh…." Kain turned his head to glance back at Isumi, who was suddenly on the scene. "Kain- _sama_ is even more impressive than I thought. To have defeated a dark god like that, so easily…I came to assist, but it really seems there was no need…."

"Yeah, sorry for stealing your spotlight." He turned back to the girl and slowly approached Athena. He knelt by her side as she slowly began to stir and fluttered her eyes open, then turned her head painfully to stare at Kain.

"You really…came for me," she murmured. "You…even saved me from that…."

"Yeah…you're welcome and I'm sorry all at once. I'm sure the real hero of this scenario would do a much more elegant and safe job of saving you, but I'm kinda tired of this one. But I'm glad you're all right, whoever you are." He leaned down to kiss her forehead, and….

8-8-8

It was odd. He wasn't sure quite when this transition happened. After that last impulsive mark of affection for the strange girl he should have known but never knew, he didn't remember anything, and now here he was, swimming back out of sleep….

He opened his eyes and looked around. He was in…some kind of high-tech-looking clinic or hospital room of some sort. Too high-tech to be Mahora, so that meant…. "Darn…another dream, huh?"

A frog, rather, a hand puppet made to look like a frog, was thrust in front of his face. "Whoa, this one's awake now, ribbit!" declared a high-pitched female in a fake low-frog voice.

His last glance at the frog revealed that it was actually a bag/puppet hybrid. Stowing away this useless tidbit of information, Kain sat himself up away from the frog and glanced at its puppetmaster. It was a little girl, no more than eleven or twelve years old, dressed in a short-skirted maid outfit and with her dark hair in two long pigtails. A voice from across the room said, "Is our patient up, Paiwei?"

Kain glanced over as the doctor approached. He was fairly young, likely in his early twenties, handsome, with dark skin and hair and in an elaborate, semi-sci-fi-looking white doctor's coat, and with long hair in back and front. His back hair hung loose, and his front hair fell only across the right side of his face, completely obscuring that side, including his eye. "Yeah…I guess I am," Kain answered the man's question. "And you are…?"

"I'm Duelo McPhile, and I am this vessel's doctor. This is Paiwei, the nurse." Duelo looked Kain over carefully. "How are you feeling?"

"Well, I'm tired of strange new scenarios, but physically I'm feeling in tip-top shape considering my body isn't even real. So, what's the scenario this time, Doc?" He pointed at Paiwei. "This girl isn't supposed to be my little sister, is she?"

The two stared at Kain in shock. Duelo's expression was actually mostly neutral, albeit curious, but Paiwei soon burst into raucous laughter. "Really, now! How could a man have a sister?"

Kain turned back to her slowly. "Um…the usual way?"

"You're serious, aren't you?" Duelo said. "So, you come from a world where men and women live together? What world is it?"

"Um…Earth?" Kain hazarded.

The two stared at him. "The planet of our ancestors…no way! It's lost!" Paiwei declared.

"But it would make sense," Duelo murmured. "He is not surprised by your appearance or our presence together in the slightest, so he's obviously used to co-gender societies; obviously, he's not from Tarak."

"Okay…I'm rather lost. Why don't you explain this one to me thoroughly?" Kain pleaded.

Duelo did so.

Kain was on board the _Nirvana_ , a ship that was actually…an accident. About 100 years ago, the ancestors of the ships' crew left the dying Earth aboard a sleeper colony. Somewhere along the line, however, the crew running the ship had a strange falling out, and the split the ship in half and the two halves landed on separate planets, one with all the males, one with all the females. They established their own societies on these planets, Tarak and Majere, and made them completely gender-specific, using genetic engineering and gene-splicing to produce further generations. They had become enemies, viewing the opposite gender as aliens…until this strange accident brought the _Nirvana_ into existence. The men had redesigned their portion of the original colony ship, the _Ikazuchi_ , and refitted it to be their new war flagship, but on the day of its launch ceremony, a group of female pirates had attacked and invaded it. The new portion was purged in an attempt to get rid of them, and then the most powerful missiles the men had were brought to bear against it. They would have all been wiped out…but the ship was powered by a strange energy technology called 'Paksis', and the Paksis, seemingly of its own will, instead warped both ships across the galaxy in an instant to avoid destruction. It then merged the remains of the _Ikazuchi_ with the pirates' ship, creating a new vessel.

The women pirates had evicted most of the men when they swiftly captured it, but three were left—Duelo, who had insisted on fulfilling his Hippocratic Oath to administer to the wounded females, an ordinary soldier named Bart Garsus who had managed to hide, and a young technician named Hibiki Tokai who had slipped aboard the ship as part of some silly dare from his fellow techies and ended up escaping capture for some time. Now the Paksis that pretty much ran the ship had 'decided' that the men were essential—only Bart could integrate with its navigation system to pilot it, and one of the humanoid mecha 'Vanguard' that was left on board had been changed and responded only to Hibiki (a Vanguard he had been attempting to commandeer when the jump happened). So, on a ship with 150 women and three men located out in deep space, they were attempting together to return to their home worlds, a journey that would now take them nearly a year…but strange alien craft were hounding them along the way.

"During the last battle, there was a strange piece of space debris that seemed to excite these alien vessels," Duelo continued. "It was a type of space fighter, we believe, and when we brought it on board and opened it, we found you inside…unconscious."

"Really? That's very interesting," Kain remarked. "I know I've never piloted any kind of space vehicle, but if I'm supposed to be piloting it in this dream scenario, I'm all up for the challenge."

"I see," Duelo murmured. "Well, if you're rested and recovered now, I should probably take you to see the captain…."

8-8-8

The old captain was rather interested in Kain as a human from Earth, although, knowing that his world wouldn't match their sci-fi history, he fudged the truth and said his memories were messed up from whatever accident had left him stranded in space, and but that he would happy to contribute in any way he could to the well-being of the ship. They showed him 'his' space fighter, which he recognized from some early '80s anime as a 'Veritech Fighter'. And so began his adventures aboard the _Nirvana_ ….

…Which he found rather enjoyable. The women were fascinated with all four men because they were alien, and weren't specifically obsessed with him, which was a nice change. The four of them were essentially second-class citizens, but Kain had endured much worse recently, and the change of pace made it all worth it. Oddly, there was only one person on this ship he recognized—Meia Gisborn, who was the _Nirvana_ 's commander of their fighter or 'Dread' forces. She was sharp-tongued, tyrannical, and rather feminist, and had a huge clash with young Hibiki, although several crises that arose early seemed to oddly mellow her. Kain found himself spending most of his time in her company after that simply because she was familiar.

The thing that perhaps was most gratifying to Kain was the fact that he was not in this role as the 'main character', or whatever you wanted to call it. That had also been the case, he assumed, in the Soul Society, but his disconnect from the heroic Ichigo Kurosaki still left him in charge of his own portion of that 'story'. At Fûka and again with young Nagi he kept feeling that he was in someone else's place, supplanting a life that was already supposed to be there, but here, he truly felt like he was an unnecessary addition without responsibilities. Hibiki was obviously the 'main character' of this scenario—his Vanguard was empowered to merge with one of and eventually all of three Dreads piloted by three of those fighter-girls, including Meia. He was young and impetuous, hot-headed and rife with teenage foibles, but he had a good heart and a surprising effect on even the most man-phobic of these women.

He enjoyed the ride and the adventure, marveled at the revealed mysteries, and it was almost with regret that he eventually left this dream for the next one….

8-8-8

Again the next dream had only a single face he recognized as he went to school with Ami Mizuno, but this time he was so disconnected from the 'lead' spot of the story that it was rather discouraging. Ami herself wasn't even the focus of this world, but she was one of several 'Sailor Senshi' who worked with the mysterious heroine Sailor Moon to fight the minions of the Dark Kingdom who were threatening the world. Pretty standard Mahô Shojô stuff, and Kain never got to be involved. In fact, he received completely involuntary reports of everything that was happening, scripts that showed up on his doorstep like the newspaper, and that's as close as he got to the action.

Furthermore, he was a young middle school student living alone in a random apartment. Whatever was putting him in these dreams, it seemed to be searching his memory for familiar faces to throw in there with him to…tempt or try him or something, but this scenario had been some sort of major screw-up, and he was rather happy to leave it….

8-8-8

…For something entirely different.

He awoke to some very odd sensations indeed. He was wrapped around something…his arms were, and his face was near something warm and soft. He opened his eyes…and realized that the warm and soft things were breasts. He was pretty much in bed with a young woman. They were both dressed, although the girl's pajamas were almost off, and…she was far larger than she should have been. Kain realized quickly that he had the body of a young child, perhaps a ten-year-old. The girl then suddenly opened her eyes, stared in confusion for several long seconds as she tried to recover from her sleep. Then she became enraged, cursing at Kain, striking him and throwing him out of bed.

"You did it again!" she hollered. "You little pervert! Stop climbing into my bed in the middle of the night!"

"Um…I'm sorry?" Kain muttered, trying to make sense of this himself.

The bed had been the top of a bunk bed, and the occupant of the lower bed yawned sleepily and sat up, rubbing at her eyes. "Mornin' Kain- _kun_ , neing' Asuna," she said in a Kansai dialect. "What's up now…?"

"Konoka! Kain went crawling into my bed again!" Asuna declared angrily. "Really, now…!"

Konoka giggled. "Ah, you know you just look like his _ne-chan_ he misses so much…."

"That excuse doesn't fly all the time!" Asuna looked at her clock and panicked. "Ack! I'm late for my work!" She began to hurriedly dress, after throwing a blanket over Kain to blind him.

Kain didn't move or disrupt the blanket until he heard the door open and slam. Then he pulled the blanket off and looked at Konoka. What he said, to her surprise, was, "But, big sister, not little sister, right? Thank goodness."

8-8-8

 _('Yeah…I've been in some weird dreams so far, but this might be the weirdest one yet. I'm at Mahora…although his name is Konoemon Konoe, the principal is the same. Takamichi is here. And I'm ten years old, but otherwise I'm the same—genius college graduate mage, assigned to teach English to an all-girls class at the Mahora Middle School. The class is different, though—only Nodoka, Yue and Chisame are here. And, even though I'm a mage, the craziest thing is that my power is severely restricted, more than in any other dream. It's frustrating, and somewhat worrisome…is this just a natural adaptation of a scenario's rules, because I have to have a limit to my power? Or is the power of the lord of these dreams growing, and he/she/it is finally able to restrict me?_

 _('…I'm hoping it's the former. I just went through what were essentially the same first three months of my real life at Mahora, with a trip to an underground library, a mysterious 'vampire' which is actually my child-looking student Eva, and even an adventurous trip in Kyoto. Even if only those three are familiar to me, all these other students and affiliated personages are so close to being familiar it's uncanny. Evangeline A.K. McDowell is a centuries-old vampire who was cursed as a ten-year-old and was obsessed with my mysteriously vanished heroic father, and was sealed to this school by him. How familiar. She has a robot servant, who is another student of mine: Chachamaru. In Kyoto I had to fight this mysterious earth-golem named Fate Averencus, who kidnapped the principal's granddaughter, Konoka. And Asuna…._

 _('She must be the 'Mai' equivalent in this scenario. She's kind of like her, although she hates kids (and, therefore, me, more or less) and she's obsessed with Takamichi, with is tragically amusing. There are a few other weirdoes and all, but…._

 _('…Really, this is just so strange. What is the meaning of it all? Will I ever get out?')_

8-8-8

After going through pretty much the entirety of the MSK story all over again, Kain moved on to the next dream.

He awoke in another room in a small Japanese house, and went downstairs to find he had a mother, not one he recognized, but smiling, happy, and utterly unflappable as she cooked him breakfast and urged him to not be late for his first day of high school.

"Must be a very boring high school," he remarked upon considering his pure black uniform suit he had to wear. He called on a script to get directions to it, and started on his way.

As he headed along, a voice hailed him, and he turned to see a young man in the same clothes wearing glasses. He glanced at his script, which told him this man was his best friend, the super-studious Hayato Ike.

"It's weird," Ike complained, but with a mischievous smile. "Going to high school with you doesn't make it feel fresh and new and interesting at all."

"Don't make it my fault," Kain protested. "You could have gone to a better one, I'm sure…."

"Yeah, but this one's the closest, so I don't have to use a bus or anything to commute…."

"Well, if that's what you want…still doesn't make it my fault."

Ike laughed, and they continued bantering on their way to school.

Kain had become quite practiced at living the school life from the student's side from his previous dreams, and changed his shoes easily in the entry locker room. He surveyed the other students and again felt cheated—the girls wore rather nice green jackets and skirts.

He was not surprised when he recognized a few of his classmates—Kazumi Yoshida, Yukari Hirai, and Matake Ogata. They didn't seem to recognize him—it seemed they had gone to different middle schools in this scenario, but Kain couldn't help but consider them carefully, something Ike noticed and teased him about immediately. There were two others, as well—that boy who was Matake's childhood friend, Eita Tanaka, and his best friend, Keisaku Satô. But…unlike his previous dreams, there seemed to be no obviously supernatural events occurring. Curious….

So he kept his sigh of disappointment over the continued dreams internal and tried to enjoy the peaceful school day as best he could….

8-8-8

Kain did not wake up that day, nor the next morning, and Luana took over teaching the antsy class for its morning session. The principal and Takamichi both visited Kain as well, but there was no change, no sign that he was anywhere close to waking.

As for the girls, they submitted to their classes, but all of them begged out of their club activities and spent turns staying in Kain's room, watching over him—just 'making sure someone was close to him'.

And still he dreamed, and still, no matter what they tried, no magic or device could penetrate that strange power that kept him bound….

8-8-8

 _('That was almost infuriating._

 _('Yukari Hirai, consumed right in front of me, not her lifeforce, but her 'power of existence' eaten. And then that Flame Haze girl I called Shana, who was more businesslike than the Soul Reapers._

 _('As soon as I figured out the scenario had put a Hôgyoku-like device inside of me, I used it to get out of that one._

 _('That left me in a world with Gundams. And Rakasu was there, for some reason. So that's her off the list. Seriously, it seems like each of these worlds has at least one of my students, and sometimes as many as five, along with a few others I know mixed in occasionally._

 _('But what was with that earlier one on the_ Nirvan _a, with only Meia?_

 _('Well, whatever. Kagome's world was interesting. The reincarnation of a_ miko _from five centuries ago, she had the power of this 'Shikkon no Tama' inside of her and fell down a well to go back to that time period and met…Inuyasha, of course. And then I showed up, and for some reason they were all insisting that I was some kind of perverted monk. True, I was dressed as a Buddhist monk, but I didn't like the weird type-casting of that scenario. But slaughtering that arrogant demon behind it all was fun._

 _('And now….')_

Kain looked around. It was a normal city street he awakened to this time…deserted, which created an eerie feeling. He was holding something in his hand. He glanced down at it. A letter, or rather an envelope, with a picture of a woman, probably mid-twenties, with purple hair, blowing a kiss. Written on it was a note addressed to him, saying she would come and pick him up. There were also lip marks, and a P.S. by an arrow pointing to her chest: 'Note the cleavage!'

What a weird lady. A letter was behind the envelope, with a brief note giving a time and location to be picked up, apparently, he judged from glancing around at the area and at his watch, would be here, and soon. It was signed, 'Kalan Lockeheart.'

That gave Kain pause. He briefly ran through his 'dream scenarios' and the fathers related to them: with Mai, no mention of any family at any point. Soul Society: just a sister. Third…never mind. With Nagi Sanzen'nin: his parents were deadbeat degenerate gamblers he'd never met who'd sold his organs to gangsters to pay their 150-million-yen debt. On the _Nirvana_ : no family or relations, of course. He lived alone in the world of the 'Sailor Senshi'. The Mahora dream was nearly a copy of his real life, and so he had just had to go through the rounds of hunting for his disappeared father _again_. He had a mother in the world with the 'Guze' and the 'Power of Existence', but his father worked overseas a lot and he never had a chance to meet him there, either. He was adopted or something in the Gundam world. And in Inuyasha, his 'father' was dead, and he had inherited some sort of curse from him that the big bad demon had put on him. Thus far, apart from the Mahora clone dream, he hadn't really had a father to meet or deal with. What was his father like here…?

A siren sounded, and then a booming announcement declared a state of emergency and urged all residents to evacuate to designated shelters. That would explain why the city was deserted. A jet flew low overhead. What was going on here…?

Then a giant suddenly loomed into sight, a misshapen, semi-humanoid figure without a discernible head…although the weird mask-like section on the top of its torso might have been its 'face'. A moment later, cruise missiles came flying into it, exploding and rocking the whole block, all the way to where Kain stood. He briefly noted a flash of some shield appear just prior to the explosion; indeed, the smoke cleared and the monster was unharmed. "A _aiju_?" Kain muttered. "What's the scenario now?"

Then a car came whipping around the corner, sliding in to park next to him. The window rolled down, revealing the woman, 'Misato Katsuragi', from the picture. "Sorry to keep you waiting, Kain! Get in, quick!"

The _aiju_ was far too close, and more importantly, it actually did seem to be moving their direction, so Kain wasted no time complying. "So, what is that?" he asked mildly as he slid into the front right seat next to the woman. "A _aiju_?"

"It's not a _aiju_. It's an angel. Those missiles and artillery rounds won't dent the thing."

"Really? Angel, you say? Could you elaborate?"

She smiled grimly as she spared him a brief glance. "You're awfully calm, considering the circumstances."

"Let's just say…ah, I don't even know how to start. Yeah, I'm calm. Whoo!"

Misato chuckled. "Well, we don't have time to go into details here. Just pray we survive this!"

More fire was being unleashed on the monster, and explosions and rebounds came perilously close to the car. Then a massive explosion engulfed the monster…just as Misato drove them into an armored bunker and the partition slid shut behind them.

"I assume that didn't get it, either?" Kain asked.

"An N2 mine," Misato sighed. "They really went with _that_? There won't be much left of the city, even if they did…but no…that thing won't go down so easily.

"Anyway, here." She handed over a badge and notebook to Kain.

Kain looked at it. "Special Agency…NERV? An unpublicized organization under control of the UN…I guess they're supposed to deal with those 'angels', then? So why did I get called over here?"

"Why do you think? Your dad is the head of it, isn't he? Maybe it'd be better to ask him directly."

Kain considered this. "Yes…even if it's a dream, I'd like that opportunity. I never even got a chance to when I was at the dream Mahora. Yeah…."

They got into a special railcar…which took them down into a terran, cavernous area deep underground, with trees and a lake…a 'Geofront'. Misato introduced it as "The last stronghold of humanity…our NERV headquarters. The keystone of the world's resurrection."

The rail sped them down into the pyramid-like structure at the heart of the Geofront.

They left the car when it parked and Misato, throwing a jacket over the sexy one-piece dress she had been wearing since her arrival on the scene, started to lead Kain through the deserted, high-tech halls…but it was obvious after a short time that she was lost. Suddenly they were hailed from behind by an angry voice…and turned to behold a woman, late twenties, with short blond hair and a beauty mark by her right eye, dressed in a lab coat.

"Ritsuko," Misato greeted her guiltily.

"You're so late I was sent to find you!" Ritsuko scolded her…then stopped as she caught sight of Kain fully. "Oh? So this is the Third Child?"

 _('Third Child?')_ "I'm Kain Lockeheart. Apparently, the director's son…?"

"You don't sound sure of it. I'm Akagi Ritsuko of the First Engineering Division and head of Project E. Pleased to meet you." She turned away. "Come with me, Kain…there's something I would like to show you before we meet your father."

Their next journey through the strange structure was to board some sort of small motorboat and cross some sort of moat, and Ritsuko and Misato engaged in some unintelligible babble about NERV security or some such, Ritsuko saying that 'Unit 01 was ready to go' and Misato demanding what they planned to do for a pilot.

Finally, they completed their journey, arriving in a massive hangar…and as Kain walked across the catwalk and glanced over at what it occupied, he froze in shock. A massive, purple humanoid machine, over 100 feet tall. "The Evangelion…" he murmured. "So, this time…."

"Kain." Kain's attention was drawn to a computer room overlooking the Eva. There, standing in the window, broadcasting down to him, was a familiar figure with unkempt red hair and, oddly, glasses. He stared down at Kain without expression as Kain looked up in frozen shock. Even now, he was so affected by a mere dream….

"Kain, listen carefully to what I'm about to tell you. You're going to ride in the Evangelion," his father informed him. "You are going to fight the angel."

 _('Well, never saw that coming!')_ As Kain opened his mouth to reply vocally, Misato suddenly burst out, "Commander Lockeheart, you can't be serious! Kain's had no training or preparation for this! It took Rei seven months to synchronize with Unit 00! To ask this of him…."

"What, you can't do it?" Kalan interrupted her briskly and abruptly. "Fine, then. We will have to place our hope in her hands, and pray she does not get herself killed. Bring her."

A door opened at the opposite side of the catwalk, and two technicians came wheeling a cot across…with a figure he was not surprised to see on its surface. He was shocked by Rei Ayanami's condition, however. She was dressed in her white bodysuit, but its sleeves and gloves were detached…her left arm was wrapped completely in bandages, and her right had some as well. Her left eye was also completely obscured by bandages.

"Rei," Kalan called down to the girl. "Our only backup is useless. I hate to do this, but I have to command you to board Unit 01 and fight the angel."

"Oh, now hold on a minute!" Kain cried, making a T with his hands. "I never said I wouldn't or couldn't. Misato here is making a reasonable argument, but if I have to pilot this thing, I will. You can't ask Rei to in that condition…."

Suddenly the whole building shook…Kain briefly heard a cry from the control room above, just making it through the speaker, that the 'angel was attempting to penetrate the Geofront'. Rei's bed upended and she began to fall from it with a cry….

Kain was there, underneath her, catching her. She gave a cry of pain, but Kain carefully held her and slowly raised her up. "Jeez, this one has just started and you're in this shape? The dream is trying to manipulate me by pulling at my heartstrings. There's no need. I have no reason not to go along." He barked at the technicians to ready the cot again, and set Rei on it with care.

"Take care of her," he declared. "I'll pilot the Evangelion. That's what I'm here for, right?"

Soon Kain sat inside the entry plug. The magical 'Evangelion' 'artifact' that Rei used—and that he had once had the opportunity to pilot, his battle against Aiden—had possessed all the comfort magic provided, but the machine in this dream was a little more complicated. They had to flood the plug with a kind of abiotic fluid called 'LCL', which Kain found uncomfortable but adjusted to easily. Misato, Ritsuko, and the other technicians monitoring his progress marveled at statistics Kain didn't know or care about…finally the order came to launch.

The Evangelion was sent up on a massive launch elevator the several miles back to the surface, and Kain looked out on the devastated city. Then he glanced over at the bizarre 'angel', which turned to look at him quizzically.

Kain grinned at it and gripped his controls. "Well, they probably expect a newbie kid to be useless…possibly win by some accident…but I'm not following that script. This thing will be a piece of cake!"

And he charged in.

8-8-8

Kain stood in front of his father's desk, staring down at the man. Kalan Lockeheart was seated, looking at Kain over the top of his glasses, his gloved hands steepled in front of him, covering his face. "You may leave," he instructed the two guards standing by the door coldly.

"Sir." They exited, closing the door behind them.

"A fine job," Kalan said. "You piloted the Evangelion marvelously, as if you were born for it. The angel was destroyed with minimal fuss. Rei has been training for this job ever since the beginning, and she never showed a fraction of these results."

Kain shrugged. "Well, I guess I got lucky."

Kalan grinned slightly. "I suppose you did." Then he reached up, took off his glasses, set them down on the desk…and bounded up and over to Kain, throwing his arms around him and embracing him. "Ah, well done, Kain! That's my boy!"

"Ah, thanks, Dad…." Kain was slightly stunned, but he returned the hug easily.

"Goodness, what a scenario we have here." Kalan stepped back, turned slightly back to his desk and picked up a sheaf of papers lying on it. "Have you read this script? This is my part: 'Kalan Lockeheart lost his wife in an accident involving the Evas ten years ago, and since that time had all but abandoned Kain, leaving him with uncaring relatives. He seems to have no emotions towards his son, who resents his father for killing his mother with that devil's research and abandoning him for so long.' Disgusting." Kalan tossed the papers negligently over his shoulder. "Even if it's a dream, no way I'm playing a part like that! We're going to show this world what happens when the Lockehearts join forces, Kain." He laid a hand on his son's shoulder.

Kain was equal parts thrilled and confused. "Uh, thanks…I guess. Um…are you…my real father…? I-I mean…."

"No, I'm not real, I'm just a dream, like the rest of this," Kalan sighed, sweeping his hand around. "I understand everything about the dream, though, at least that it is a dream, following some pre-written script or scenario. I'm not sure why. Either your mind is so focused on your father's magnificence that, once he is manifested, even this demonic dream can't make him into the kind of 'World's Worst Father' material he's supposed to be, or maybe I myself am just that awesome that dream images of me take control." He chuckled. "It's really too bad I'm not really here. If I was the real me, I'd have Yume no Musôka, and I'd break apart this dream and kill the demon causing it in a moment." He made a demonstrative slashing motion.

"In any case, we've got to find an opportunity to end this dream. If you keep at it, the demon behind it should weaken." Kalan turned back to Kain and his expression became once more serious. "You're doing really well fighting it so far. I don't know just what it's intending, or how it proposes to break you…but somehow, some way, you're winning. For now, all we can do, though, is keep fighting these angels."

8-8-8

And so Kain did. He got to know the new Rei, who was rather similar to the old Rei—according to Kalan, however, this Rei was 'a clone of Kain's mother created by his mad father to be part of the plot to use all this Evangelion hocus-pocus to recreate her and cause the end of the world, or something like that'. Because she was an artificially created human made to sync with the Evas—for there were several here—Rei had a nearly emotionless nature. She was devoted to Kalan, who did dote on her like a daughter, but otherwise expressed nothing more than basic humanity.

Most of the actual city had been stored underground between the surface and the Geofront during the angel invasion, and shortly after his arrival he was sent to a school, the same Rei was attending, and once again insinuated himself into the class with pleasure and ease, charming even those who tried to resent him for damage caused by the monsters (because he was swiftly revealed as the pilot of the Eva to the class at large).

He and Rei battled a few angels, and then the 'Second Child' arrived, a Japanese-German girl named Asuka Langley Sôryû, who had been in Germany at another branch of NERV. Asuka was violent and domineering, angry and argumentative, but Kain was content to simply avoid her most of the time.

Finally, after pretty much all the angels had been defeated (and many tragedies had been avoided by the über tag-team of Lockehearts), a new, albino boy was brought to NERV and introduced as the Fifth Child (one of Kain's classmates had been the Fourth; Rei was the First).

"This Kaworu Nagisa is actually the final angel," Kalan explained privately to Kain. "The angels have been trying to get back to Lilith, the second angel which is in our care and which supposedly 'gave birth to all humanity', and if they succeed this will start the Third Impact and destroy the world. That's why we've been fighting them. However, the commander of NERV in the script is planning to use Lilith to do that anyway, and so are the old men of Seele, the mysterious faction behind NERV at the UN. When the world is destroyed, it will be reborn, and everyone's trying to be God, rebuilding it in their own image. It's all very complicated and annoying, all these hidden agendas and all this mythical mumbo-jumbo. It's worse than the Obsidian Star. Anyway, rather than kill him and then let the humans fight out over all this, I have a better idea; let's just let the kid rejoin Lilith, cause Third Impact, and that should end this section of your dream."

Kain was silent a moment. "I…guess that works…but if that's the case, we could have let any of the previous angels do it, right? Why didn't we?"

Kalan coughed. "Well, to be honest…it's been kind of nice, you know? Aeli couldn't be here with us—technically, she doesn't exist in this world, your 'mother' is this other woman, Yui—but with you and Rei, and even that Asuka brat…and even Misato, we've kind of been like a family, you know? I must say I've been enjoying it. Haven't you?"

Kain didn't need to consider it. He smiled. "Yes, actually…I don't know why, but even in all these dreams you've been completely denied me. Here, even if it is a dream, I've been able to enjoy being with you, and as you say, the others were like family, too. Something I've never really had. I even passed up the opportunity to enjoy it in the Cosmo Entelecheia, but here…I got something, at least. Thank you…for everything." He considered something, his expression turning wistful. "This has got to be a first, though…letting the villains win and the world be destroyed in order to escape a pseudo-world, because that's basically what we're doing…."

"Not unprecedented," Kalan replied. "Doctor Bashir of Deep Space Nine, while playing James Bond in a Holodeck program that went awry and stole the minds of the station's crew, had to join the villain and destroy the world in order to safely end the program and get everyone back to normal."

"Ah? Really? Not familiar with that one. Oh well." Kain rose. "I…guess I better go find Kaworu and escort him down to that freak of nature. Thanks…for everything…Dad…."

"One last thing before you go," Kalan interjected. "There's something I can tell you about these dreams, something you should know. These aren't simply conjurations from nowhere, these scenarios aren't exactly made up. It's more than your memories or awareness going into their creation. There is something significant about these worlds, which is how the demon is holding you in them…and why it can't manipulate things according to its own desires more easily. Somewhere, lost in this trail of dreams, you should be able to find the key to escape."

Kain nodded. "Thanks. I'll keep that in mind. I'll be seeing you…in the flesh…sometime." And then he left the office so he could go end the world.

F I N

 _Author's Note: Running through the Dreams_

 _Yes, there is some specific point in all these…I felt compelled to run Kain through a series of dreams based on the anime that the girls come from. This very fast, very loose storytelling is probably very chaotic and at least somewhat frustrating, but it's necessary since having even all the opening scenarios would take far too long. I'm going to finish up soon here, so this madness is almost over. If I have any readers left by this point, I'm sure they're sighing with relief upon hearing these words._

 _The Hayate world is one of the ones most familiar to Kain, and I decided a good point to have him 'leave' it was after the defeat of King Midas, who possessed Hayate's childhood girlfriend, Athena, as shown here. Other than showing how he was dropped into the world—as Hayate's replacement—I didn't want to have too much of it, because I've already shown most of these scenarios, all the good ones, anyway, already; Kain has been through them. Maybe he should have commented about that…._

 _Although she isn't part of the class, I decided to drop Kain in Meia Gisborn's world, the Vandread anime. She is one of The Twelve—heck, she's in the top four—but more importantly, Vandread is just such an awesome anime I have to pay homage to it, and Kain would enjoy being there just as much as I would. Moving on…._

 _There's really nothing for men to do in the Sailor Moon universe unless you are the Enemy or Tuxedo Mask, but I have to have it so we can see Ami, and so Kain does an annoyed review of the situation._

 _And similar to Hayate, dropping Kain in the actual MSN dreamworld as a ten-year-old Negi-like version of himself is fun, but seriously, how can I write in detail about a story I've already spent seventeen acts writing?_

 _Kazumi and crew come from Shakugan no Shana, an anime that rankled me at the start with its unique setting. Rather than 'normal' demons who feed on things like lifeforce, the big thing about this world is 'the power of existence', and these demon-like creatures called the 'Denizens of Guze' consume that power from humans, and when they do…they don't just die, everything about them is erased, all trace that they were ever there, and this whole concept was completely, totally, horribly messed up. The characters made the anime fun and palatable, and I recently finally finished the third and final season, but from what Kain sees initially, he would really hate how it all goes down. I thought about really introducing Shana and Kain's interpretation of the role of the main hero, Yûji Sakai, but as fun as it would have been, it would have taken too long. As a note, Kain partially talks about the big thing here—Yûji is introduced to the 'World of Guze' and its Denizens when they attack him out on the street, consuming Yukari Hirai's presence. In order to watch this strange 'torch', as Yûji has also supposedly had his essence consumed and is merely a burning-out leftover before he fades completely from existence, the girl that he calls Shana who saved him takes Yukari's place, using the remnants of her presence to assume her place in the class and everything…but Yukari was totally gone. However, at the very end of the series, Yûji has a bit of temporary godlike power through various circumstances I won't spoil here, and one of the most significant things he does is restore the presence of Yukari Hirai completely, so the girl gets another cameo during the final-final credits as she greets Kazumi in class. It was pretty good closure for me._

 _Rakasu comes from Gundam SEED, and so Kain goes there and gets to be Kira Yamato, or the equivalent. He would make some significant alterations to this story, too, but we just don't have time, and Rakasu's not a major character, so we skipped it. Same with Inuyasha…Kain is in the place of the monk Miroku, who was a lecher, and so in inheriting his place he also inherits his bad reputation, which is an amusing joke._

 _But I decided to detail Eva a bit more…not because of Rei, but because of Gendo Ikari…and his replacement. As Kain noted, this was the first dream world he'd visited where his father actually plays a significant role. The father in MSN is, of course, at least to him, just a copy of his own father, and he would have left that world before his father was officially recovered. So he finally gets to meet his dream father…and I decided I wanted to do this 'troll' or whatever, and have Kalan Lockeheart utterly refuse to be the heartless evil crazy bastard that was Gendo Ikari and instead be a good and wonderful father. And so I highlighted this, making fun of Anime's Worst Father and making Eva, of all things, one of the visits he would come to enjoy the most._

 _And since I was doing that, I decided that this pseudo-father would also do as a bit of a hint-dropper for Kain._

 _Well, this whole dream nonsense has gone on long enough. We'll once again briefly touch upon a last few more worlds, and then hit the last one…and wrap it all up…._


	11. Chapter 11

Disclaimer: This is a nonprofit fictional story, a FanFiction based on Ken Akamatsu's Negima. I do not own Negima, or most of the other characters included in this work, excepting where it is stated in the author's notes. It is not intended or presented for any commercial profit or personal gain; it is simply a story written for personal fulfillment and presented for public enjoyment, and as an honest homage to the fine story conceived and written by Ken Akamatsu, as well as all the other (innumerable) works that find place herein (and their authors).

Chapter Ten: The Dreamer Wakes ~The Final Dream~

Friday morning. Kain wasn't in class…but there was an even more significant absence.

"Yuki- _chan_ isn't here?" Luana remarked in surprise. "That's not normal, is it?"

"How…strange," Nodoka murmured. "Yuki- _san_ …you never notice her, but…she's never missed class before…."

"Yuki knew the most about Kain- _sensei_!" Kanade hollered, jumping to her feet. "That means…something must be happening…or she's doing something!"

Without any spoken agreement, the class was emptied in several seconds. Luana stared after them, then smiled, shook her head, and followed at a much more leisurely pace.

8-8-8

 _('After Eva, I got to go adventuring with Lina, just like she always wanted, I bet, even if she was as much a stranger to me as all the rest of the girls. Gourry, Zelgadis, Xellos…and more I didn't know pitched in._

 _('…Oh, but Kanade and her sister Haruna knew me when I ended up in that world, although Erika, her brother, and the Tôgis all still didn't know me. Kaya was the same…semi-evil matriarch, trying to manipulate her children…and, yes, the Sendô family were still vampires. Something about me still made Kaya want to make me Erika's Servant. Speaking of, Rei wasn't here—I guess she couldn't be, because she had already been in the Eva world (although there were a couple repeats, I guess)—and there was some other girl who was Kaya's Servant. Anyway, by the time I was done, I learned some things that I hope will be of use in the real world whenever I make it back…things that might help me end this conflict between Kaya and her children…._

 _('Ah, back to Kanade real fast. She and Haruna were almost sidenotes, but apparently in this scenario I had lived in whatever area this one took place in back years ago when I was child, and had been friends with the tiny tot Kanade and Haruna. Interestingly, Haruna was supposed to be my age, and Erika's age, too, and Kanade is one year our senior. Well, whatever. In any case, I just found it interesting that any of the girls finally remembered me…it was just a kind of warm feeling. Something silly, I know._

 _('In any case, I really hope these dreams do have some basis in 'reality' so I can solve the Sendô problem with this information. I thought about that more at my next stop, which was Yokohama. In this scenario, Kiami and Akari (and Hikaru) all stayed in Yokohama instead of going to Mahora, and I was at their school. And somehow, along with some other guys in my class—a Hayate Fuji, nice, quiet, dutiful kid, and a Delryn-look-alike, Thomas Searrs, who had a suspiciously familiar younger sister—I got roped into going to Akari's_ dôjô _to learn martial arts. Akari told me back when I started learning from her that she'd take me to her masters if she could, and this time she got the opportunity. Specifically, her Krav Maga teacher was training Thomas, and the Jeet Kune Do master was training Hayate, and I got to be trained by Ogata-_ sensei _in the art of_ jûjutsu _. And when I say that I was trained, I mean it. I learned a lot about fighting over the past year, but without magic, in skill and all else, this guy was still my superior. If he's as strong as he is in real life, those masters are very, very impressive indeed._

 _('Let's see…then I was in the 1960s with Kaoru, taking on alien invaders with semi-magical 'Gate' powers. And, most recently, I had to share my body with a strange Phantom Thief after magical artwork as I attended school with the Harada twins. I really have seen most of the class by now._

 _('What world awaits me next, I wonder…?')_

Kain woke up in a rather normal room again, and swiftly used a conjured script to get the bearing on his surroundings. Once again, he was of high school age—these dreams couldn't seem to make up their minds about how old he should be—and he was about to start his first day of high school.

It all seemed quite normal at first, even more so than the world where he had re-encountered Kazumi and her friends and the weird 'Guze' lifeforms. He had a friend from his old middle school and the almost stereotypical 'dork who thinks he's cool and a lady's man' who latched onto him immediately.

And a most unique neighbor sitting behind him.

After he introduced himself (enjoying making up weird stories about his 'American in Japan' status), the girl behind him rose upon the name of 'Haruhi Suzumiya' being called.

"I am Suzumiya Haruhi," the girl declared. "I have no interest in ordinary humans. If there are any aliens, time travelers, espers or sliders, seek me out. That is all."

The words froze Kain. Of course, she sounded crazy, but that description was hauntingly familiar to the boy…he remembered another girl who spoke of _being_ all four of those….

He glanced back at her. She was beautiful, he remarked immediately—he had been surrounded by appropriate female beauty for some time now, but he was the sort of boy who would and could always appreciate it. Her hair was long with a yellow ribbon at her forehead, and her expression was as cold and disdainful as her words…yet there was something almost frighteningly _real_ about her….

A week passed without incident, so Kain was able to take the time to study this strange creature. She was beautiful, brilliant, outrageously gifted, and utterly unfriendly. Many girls tried warming up to her, but she rejected them out of hand. She paid no attention to boys, and would start changing into her gym clothes without care as soon as it was time for PE before the girls hurried the boys out—they were the same to her as germs, it seemed. She was outstanding in sports and joined many clubs, only to quit them immediately. She actually did accept dates from boys, however, but dumped them as soon as she ascertained that they had no 'special qualifications'.

Kain's 'new friend', Taniguchi, noted his interest and warned him off of her. He had gone to middle school with her and knew her quite well—at least, knew about all her eccentricities, including that propensity for harsh speed-dating and other strange behaviors. Taniguchi himself had once asked her out, he learned from other sources, and he held the record for fastest rejection, as she had dumped him before they had even gone out on their date. Kain couldn't get details on how, exactly, that had happened.

She had other strange points, too. She changed her hairstyle each day—on Monday, she had no ties in her hair, but she had a ponytail on Tuesday, pigtails on Wednesday, and added another tie each day until Friday. Monday she again showed up without any ties in her hair.

So strange was this creature that it completely distracted Kain from the single girl he had encountered thus far that he recognized—Ryoko Asakura was in this class.

Well, not that he was clueless and didn't realize it—in fact, Taniguchi was hung up on the girl, contrasting her perfection to Haruhi's eccentricities—but at the moment she was harmless. There was a strange feeling from Haruhi, something indefinable, but nothing that he could sense from Ryoko…she didn't feel like the Ryoko from his reality, a being of magic. Was she different, or was the dream disguising her somehow…?

As strange as she was, he rather hoped Haruhi was the key to this dream, and not Ryoko. He also hoped that, if Ryoko were here, it was Yuki's turn to make her presence known. The only members of his class he hadn't encountered, after all, were Yuki and Caria, and Yuki had previously been connected to Ryoko.

He watched and waited warily, and the first month went by without incident. Kain once again had a father and mother he never saw, but he did once again have a little sister…she was about seven years old, and was always with the parents if they were ever present, so that side of his life was carefully closed off. The school was obviously the focus of this scenario, and so far there was no magic or anything like that involved. There was just the strange girl.

The week after Golden Week, Tuesday morning before class started, he leaned back in his chair, turned to face the desk behind him, and asked the girl, "Tell me…do your varied hairstyles have something to do with your search for aliens?"

She glanced at him. There was something akin to surprise on her face—it was a different look than she had ever given anyone before. "Oh? When did you notice?"

"The second week, actually—twice is all you need to verify a pattern, and it's never failed. The same color ties each weekday, too."

"You're perceptive. It's just a way of communing with the cosmos, I guess you could say…each day has a specific number, and if you think about it, a different color is associated with each day of the week too, you know?"

"Hmm. There is actually some sense in that. So, why are you so hung up on aliens and the like and despise 'normal' humans?"

"Why, because they're far more interesting!" Haruhi exclaimed, showing far greater emotion than she had ever before demonstrated. "Normal life is as boring as hell, and I can't stand it! I can't be relegated to that kind of life! But I can't find any!" She put her chin in her hands and looked away sullenly. "I've looked all around this school…I thought it would be an interesting school, that it would have something about it that was worth my attention, but all the students are worthless, and all the clubs are lame. Even the mystery and occult clubs aren't any good, not into anything concrete or exciting. It's all such a drag." She glanced back at Kain and her eyes narrowed. "Hey…have I seen you before…? Outside of school, I mean? Have we met before coming here…? I swear you look familiar."

Kain smirked. "That's what you're going with? I'm rather used to recognizing girls who don't know me, but to have it happen in reverse like this…no, I'm sure I've never met you before we came to this high school, Suzumiya- _san_." He shrugged. "Let me express some sympathy over your bored condition. I kind of understand the feeling; normal life is boring. But I'm surprised you're just sitting around like that. If you think it's boring, can't you do something to change that yourself?"

Haruhi stared hard at him. Before she found a reply, or before he finally added onto his semi-rant, the teacher finally entered, and the class was forced to surrender its attention. But Haruhi stared at Kain's back all throughout the rest of the day….

8-8-8

As Kain entered the school grounds the next day, he was assaulted from behind. Specifically, someone grabbed his collar and hauled at him, stopping him dead. He glanced back at his assailant. "Why am I not surprised?" he muttered as he sized up Haruhi Suzumiya. She had cut her hair, and now just wore her Monday ribbon in it.

"Your name's Kain, right!? I thought about what you said yesterday. It was brilliant! I can't believe I never thought of it! Come with me."

She turned and began to drag Kain off to another part of the campus, towards the old outer building which now housed the various clubs. Kain could have resisted, and easily, but in truth, he had been growing rather impatient waiting for something in this universe's status quo to change for some time now, and since it seemed he had sparked a new event, he had to go along with it.

"I'm going to form my own club!" Haruhi enthused. "That way, I can find the adventures I'm looking for!"

"That actually makes sense in a Suzumiya Haruhi kind of way," Kain remarked. "I assume you're dragging me along because you're going to force me to join your new club?"

"Of course! You weren't thinking of refusing, were you!?"

"Oh, I wouldn't dare. But where are we going?"

"First we have to find a clubroom!" They had entered the building, and Haruhi picked out a door, whether by method or madness Kain couldn't tell. She threw the door open violently and, releasing Kain, stepped inside. "Well, this looks like a good one! This is now the clubroom for the club that I am making! I trust there are no problems with this?"

Classes should have been starting soon, but there was an occupant in the room. Kain was actually not surprised—in fact, was rather relieved—to see that it was Yuki Nagato…wearing her glasses, as she had for most of the year before the return from the magic world. She was sitting in the back of this room, which had nothing but two tables, a desk, some chairs, and bookcases lining both side walls. She looked up at the invaders with her doll-like expressionless face. She nodded and looked back down at her book.

"You're just going to take over this girl's room?" Kain asked the crazed megalomaniac carefully.

"I've already researched this yesterday," Haruhi explained. "That's why I didn't start this then. This club is semi-official, the Literary Research Club, but it has no other members but this girl—they all graduated. Officially, a club needs five members to be recognized and receive any room or funding, so this is easy pickings! So, we have a room and three members!"

"Three…her, too, huh?" Kain muttered with a resigned smile. "So what kind of club is this, anyway?"

"Now, there's still so much to do! We've got the room, so I'll go get everything else we need!" And she ran off.

Kain stared after her. "That girl would fit in my class _too_ well," he remarked. Then he turned back to Yuki and studied her carefully. She was reading her book in a measured, robotic manner. Well, none of them had been too much different from how he remembered them, but what would that mean for Yuki…?

"Sorry about this…it seems you've been drawn into something troublesome," he said finally.

"It's all right," Yuki replied in her neutral voice. "It is as Suzumiya- _san_ said. I am the only member of this club, so it isn't official."

"Is that so…? Ah, where are my manners? I'm Kain Lockeheart."

"Nagato Yuki. Freshman."

An easy reply, and nothing else, as Kain could have expected. Even if he felt comforted once again being in the presence of someone he recognized, there was definitely an awkward feeling present with Yuki…it was nigh-impossible to have a conversation with a girl like her, after all.

"Maybe I should read a book, too," Kain remarked aloud. "Well, we should all be in class, but I know that if Haruhi finds that I've left, she'll assume I'm a traitor and try to punish me or something. Besides, I don't need it, probably no more than you do." He wandered over to a bookshelf. "So, what to read…?"

"Here." He turned in surprise to Yuki, who closed her book and stood, then handed it over to him. "Read this."

Kain took it carefully. "Oh? Weren't you reading it?"

"Yes, but you need it more now."

"…Ah? Is it good?"

"Unique. Try to finish up through page 268 by tonight."

And Yuki wandered to the door, opened it, and left.

Kain stared after her, gears in his mind churning. "Huh…page 268? Why?" He opened it to that page…and saw a bookmark therein, with a message, a time in the evening and bus stop location to meet. He smiled. "Interesting…so who are _you_ , Yuki Nagato…?"

"I'm back!" Haruhi burst inside. Then she looked around in surprise. "Huh? Where'd the girl go? Did you do something perverted and drive her off?"

"Perish the thought," Kain muttered. "I'm sure she went back to class, which is where we should be going, too…."

"Hmm…I guess you're right. It would be hard on our club if our first members were made out to be delinquents. In any case, I've got it started!" She had an armband and a marker, along with other paraphernalia Kain didn't pay attention to, and wandered over to the desk, where she set the armband down and began to write on its surface: 'Buchô' or club president. "So begins the SOS Brigade!"

"…The what?"

"The Save the world by Overloading it with fun Suzumiya brigade!" Haruhi declared triumphantly.

(In fact, the name is complicated Japanese words translated to English acronyms and makes almost no sense however it's translated, but that name is stupid enough to properly represent just how insane the girl and her idea is. Narrator aside ended).

Kain sighed, but he followed it with his usual resigned smile. "Well, whatever. Let's worry about all that after class, shall we? I'm sure the great Suzumiya Haruhi can wait that long…."

8-8-8

That evening, Kain went to the directed bus stop. Yuki Nagato was at the bench there, waiting for him.

"Nagato- _san_ ," he greeted her. "So, you wanted to meet me?"

Yuki rose and turned away. "I must discuss something with you. Something that cannot be discussed at school." She pointed. "My apartment."

He looked at it—a rich high-rise apartment complex, in the wealthy portion of town. "Fine. Lead on."

She led him to the apartment, and took him up to her room. Inside, it was entirely barren from all appearances. In the front room, there was nothing but a single low Japanese table.

"Somehow, about what I'd expect," Kain muttered.

She instructed him to sit and wait, and returned with a cup and a tea kettle, and poured out tea, then pushed it forward towards him. He took the cup with thanks and took a sip. "Well, then," he said, finally, then smiled. "It's good to see you again, Yuki. Can we talk normally now?"

Yuki nodded, still as neutral and unemotional as always. "I didn't feel anything from Ryoko Asakura," he remarked. "But you…it's the same I felt when I was absorbing that magic. The same essence I sensed inside Cosmo Entelecheia. I don't know how, I don't know why you're here, but I know that you are 'my' Yuki Nagato. My 'father' at NERV was just some kind of dream error or something, but…you're my Yuki from Mahora. Am I right?"

Yuki nodded. "Yes. I was able to use the data for this conceptual entity to enter this space so that I could meet with you."

"Use it…so, if you hadn't come to see me, I would still be dealing with 'a' Yuki Nagato, right?"

"Yes. These worlds that you have entered are not, strictly speaking, dreams. They are semi-real copies of realities that exist in the planes between the universes. The world of your birth is an exceedingly rare reality, a 'nexus-world' where many concepts and significant souls gather. The hypothesis of 'alternate realities' is true, to an extent, as is the plurality of universes. All of these 'dreams' are copies of other worlds."

"I think I get it. That's why I keep seeing people I know…whatever has done this to me has been getting information from my mind, and finding alternate worlds where these people exist, and having me 'dream' these worlds. But why?"

"The entity responsible is a demonic parasite that feeds on dreams. It drains the willpower of those it entraps, until they die. However, your will and your magical power are great enough that it cannot penetrate your essence, even with all these dreams. It is trying different avenues, different methods to entice you to lower your guard and give in to your desires so that it might penetrate to your core."

Kain considered this. "But…really, I've been doing just about whatever I wanted, even if it messes up the dream. That's not giving in to my 'desires'?"

"Simply acting as you will is not enough. It is the surrendering of your will to the concept that you may act without remorse, because it is a dream, surrendering the convictions of your soul. It is because of that need that the members of our class, the girls close to your heart, have formed the primary basis for the foundation of these worlds."

Kain stared at her. He rolled Yuki's cryptic statement over in his mind. "Wait…convictions…those…you mean…? Oh." He sipped at his tea thoughtfully. "Hmm…I guess I get it. Very weird, roundabout way to say it. That's all it would take, really? …But I guess I kind of get it anyway. Don't want to think about that anymore. Let's move on. Is there a way out?"

"I am exploring possibilities," Yuki replied. "But at present my help is limited. I have already strayed close to the edge of the allowed deviance from my programming."

"Really? Explain, if you can."

"To explain, I must now assume the mantle of this 'Nagato Yuki'. In this reality, I am, in the language of Suzumiya Haruhi, an alien. I am a humanoid interface created by the Data Integration Thought Entity to observe a particular human individual: Suzumiya Haruhi.

"The Data Integration Thought Entity is a collection of bodiless intelligences that sprang from the seas of information at the creation of this universe. However, they are locked in a period of stagnation and non-evolution. Eventually, however, three years ago, according to the reckoning of this world, they detected an enormous explosion of data, data that could herald a possibility of evolution, even for them. The origin of this data explosion was this planet; it came from the girl, Suzumiya Haruhi. The Data Integration Thought Entity understood that this girl represents both a possibility and a threat, and so they dispatched humanoid interfaces to this planet to observe her and collect data."

Kain nodded. "Okay. That's you, or the Nagato Yuki in this world. Asakura Ryoko, too, I imagine? I'll have to watch out for her. So under that 'mantle', you have taken the place of this 'conceptual entity', you called it…so you actually do have to follow the orders of this D.I.T.E., we'll call it for short, so if you stray too far from what you're supposed to be or do, they can probably erase you, right?" Yuki nodded. "That's fine. So Haruhi really has something special about her…she's the key to this 'dream' even if you're the one I know. That's good to know. Tell me, if you can, one more thing…is there a way out of this?"

"There will be a chance," Yuki agreed. "Suzumiya Haruhi possesses power to alter data at a universal level—in normal human terms, you could deem her a god. Other observers will further explain this to you in a more understandable fashion. But as she alters reality in this world, she will at some point inadvertently make this world border the place where the demonic entity controls us. You must wait and watch for that point…and you must have a power that can sever the walls between reality and dreams."

Kain was silent for several moments, thinking. "Thank you. That should be enough. Thank you very much for your help." He bowed, then stopped. "I think we're forgetting one thing, though. I am, at least. You say Haruhi has this power…to alter reality…and she's obsessed with exciting life. Why doesn't she just summon aliens and the rest if she has godlike power?"

"Suzumiya Haruhi is unaware of her power," Yuki replied. "If she exercises it, it is subconsciously. The…D.I.T.E. is split in its opinions towards her. Some wish to make her aware of her power, but the majority believe it is dangerous and simply wish to observe her and collect data."

"Huh. That makes things interesting." Kain finished his tea and rose to his feet. "That gives me lots to think about…lots and lots to think about. Thanks a lot, Yuki. I'll try not to bother you or your, uh, cover more than necessary…I should just treat you as an alien right now, and not a magical entity?" He smiled, and Yuki nodded. Kain then saw himself out.

He walked into the street, but glanced back at the apartment. He remembered his father at NERV…saying how, if he were the real Kalan Lockeheart, he would cut through the walls of the dream in an instant. Yes, that dream sword was just the power he needed….

"But if Dad could help me, he already would have," Kain muttered. "There's no way for me to call him. I need another power like that…a power that cuts the boundaries between realities…maybe…." He shook his head and started away. "Well, I'm close now…I can feel it. Close to the end of the dream….

8-8-8

The next day Haruhi kidnapped a new member for the club: second-year student Mikuru Asahina, who had a cute face but a very impressive bust, one even larger than Haruhi's, a fact the girl noted with a combination of frustration and admiration while groping the girl. Kain did his best to put a stop to that, but afterwards Haruhi insisted the girl was necessary because of her _'moe'_ (pronounced moh-ay) characteristics. Mikuru was part of the Calligraphy Club, which Haruhi told her to drop, and the shocked Mikuru, after noticing Yuki in the room, ceased any protestations she might have had and meekly agreed to comply. Haruhi then decided that the first order of business was to dress Mikuru up like a maid—right in front of Kain, who was forced to evict himself from the room.

Haruhi's next tyrannical act of evil was to take Mikuru next door to the computer club, where, long story short, she used Mikuru to threaten the boys there with a sexual harassment charge in order to abscond with their best computer. _('If this wasn't a dream, I'd definitely object quite a bit more strongly to this,')_ Kain thought. _('In fact, if I wasn't close to the end of the dream I might actually try a little to put this girl in her place, but…this world, according to what Yuki said and with other thoughts I've got, might be the closest to the wall of reality, at least from my point of view. Getting in the way of the world's ignorant god could end it prematurely, and I'm not sure I would be any better off in a new dream. So…._

 _('In other words, I'm being pretty selfish. Good thing this is just a dream.')_

The next week, as Haruhi did more crazy stunts and made plans for the club, a new exchange student entered the school, and Haruhi immediately abducted this new young man and dragged him to the club. Itsuki Koizumi, after carefully observing the room and its occupants with a deceivingly stupid smile on his face, simply said, "I understand. I am happy to join your club, Suzumiya- _san_."

 _('If I didn't already have a grasp of this situation, I'd find that oddly suspicious,')_ Kain thought.

The next Saturday, Haruhi decided it was time to engage in the SOS Brigade's first club activity: they would split into two groups and scour the city for 'mysterious, cool things, people, places, or events'. As obscure as any other description she gave, it was obvious she hoped some mystery or supernatural event would occur. She used the drawing of lots to determine the teams, and was obviously steamed when Kain and Mikuru were paired together and she was stuck with Koizumi and Yuki.

 _('Well, any other red-blooded teenage male who wasn't obviously stuck in a weird evil dream would think of this as a wonderfully-provided mandatory date,')_ Kain thought.

"And remember, it's not a date!" Haruhi seethed as they parted. "You better take this seriously, or there will be penalties! We meet up here again for lunch at one o'clock!"

After the other group had departed, Mikuru turned to her escort and said, "Kain…can I talk to you about something…privately? This…is serious…."

She led him to a rather deserted park and sat at a bench facing the road, and Kain joined her. He waited patiently for her to find her voice. And, after some hesitation but now with none of her usual shy and fearful nature, she began to explain her background: "I am not a normal human from this time-plane. In fact, I am a time traveler from the future.

"I cannot say specifically which time-plane I come from, because that is classified information. I can only say that we possess the technology to travel freely between time-planes. You see…."

She went into a detailed and sophisticated description of the attributes of time compared to common perception of the matter, which Kain was easily able to follow, due to his own adventures with time travel earlier. In fact, he probably understood a bit more about it than Mikuru did, due to the ways he had been exposed to the phenomenon and how Milleko had described its nature.

She finally concluded her description, and elucidated: "But, three years ago…that is, three years relative to this time-plane…we became unable to travel further back in time. That is, three years from the past of this time, there is a kind of temporal wall that is preventing us from traveling any further back. This kind of event had never happened before, and was naturally a cause of great concern. We researched it as best we could, and finally came to a conclusion that this had happened because of one person: Suzumiya Haruhi. She is the cause of this time-block, and seems not to be aware of it herself, but somehow, she is the cause. Therefore, I have been dispatched as an agent to observe her and find out the truth of the matter." She finally stopped her narrative and looked carefully at Kain's neutral face. Her look became almost one of panic and she began, "I'm sorry, you might not believe…."

"Oh, there's no need to worry," Kain said. "Actually, I understand and believe you fully. I'm just curious as to why you felt the need to tell this all to me."

Mikuru seemed genuinely surprised. "Why, because you're the one Suzumiya- _san_ has chosen! You have somehow become an important person to her, even though you're normal. There…is significance in that…."

 _('I'm not nearly as normal as you think, of course. I'm just supposed to be, according to this scenario.')_ "I see. Thank you for trusting me enough to tell me this. It certainly goes along with what I already know. In fact, your confession here helped more than you could possibly know." He smiled at her.

This took Mikuru aback, and she began to sputter and search for a response, but Kain rose from the bench. "In any case, we should…I'm not sure, there's nothing really 'productive' we can do that would satisfy Haruhi's insane expectations, but we can start trying to come up with reasonable excuses for coming back empty-handed. Not to worry—I won't use what you told me as information for Haruhi. Your secret is quite safe with me."

8-8-8

Naturally, Haruhi was in a bad mood when they reunited for lunch—partially because Kain and Mikuru didn't find anything extraordinary and, although she was loathe to admit it, because she had likewise ended up empty-handed. After lunch, she was again displeased when Kain was again paired alone with Yuki, and this time Kain took Yuki to a library to let her read to her heart's desire for the afternoon. Yuki knew nothing about the institution, and Kain had to help her get a library card and rent out the books she had latched onto, but at least it was peaceful. It also allowed him to come up with an excuse that he had gone to the library to try to research the town's history, to try to find any mysterious buildings or events with inexplicable happenings—naturally, such a search had, alas, proved fruitless.

His excuse did somewhat placate Haruhi, and after some grumbling and a continued foul mood, she recovered quickly and noted that great feats were not accomplished in a single day…that this was just a start.

The next week, as they gathered after school for their makeshift club, Haruhi took Mikuru and Yuki off to do some strange girl-event that had gotten into her head and which Kain specifically tried not to think about, leaving him alone with Itsuki. After the girls had departed, he turned to the young man and said, "Well, I suppose it's your turn to speak to me about your circumstances?"

Itsuki turned his fake-idiot's smile on Kain, appearing quizzical, but it dropped suddenly and became a more calculating grin. "Indeed. Now would be an excellent time. Won't you take a walk with me, Kain- _kun_?"

He took him to an outdoor café and they sat down for tea, or in Koizumi's case, coffee. "Now, about my… 'circumstances', as you so aptly put it. I, as you might have guessed, am not an ordinary human. I am, in fact, an esper. Alas, not an exciting one; I have powers that can only be released at certain times and in certain conditions. Truthfully, I didn't even want to tell you this, not so early; but since Nagato and Asahina have already made contact with you, I suppose it's necessary that I initiate contact as well.

"Regardless, I was not born an esper. I acquired my powers at a certain time…three years ago."

 _('Three years. It might not actually mean anything to me in the long run, but I can't help but be curious about this mysterious event of three years ago when all of this 'started'….')_

"There are a number of espers like me, a whole Agency, and that, for all intents and purposes, is our name. We all awoke to our powers, understanding them fully, and we also knew and understood instinctively who was the cause of this awakening: Suzumiya Haruhi- _san_. Since then, we formed together, built up this Agency, and have taken to watching her.

"You see, Suzumiya Haruhi- _san_ is the root behind all of this. She lured aliens and time-travelers here, and even created espers. She has fundamentally altered the way this world works. There's only one way to describe such a being: 'God'."

"Ah. I see. Rather than just saying, 'She has godlike powers to alter reality', you mean, she is essentially _the_ 'God' of this world, right?"

"Yes. That is correct. She is unaware of her power, but she can even destroy this reality and recreate a new one if she deems fit. All of this is according to her whim. Therefore, our Agency is devoting its resources to attempting to keep the keep the Goddess placated. Are you familiar with the Anthropomorphic Principle?"

"Oh, I love that one: the world only exists because beings with reason, humanity, are able to observe it. If humanity did not exist, the world would not exist. Scientists may say snarky things about religionists placing too much value in humanity, but that theory…I apologize. I assume you subscribe to it?"

Itsuki still smiled. "Well, yes…after a fashion. Does this world exist because humanity perceives it…or because _one person_ perceives it? Our theory is that the universe is not billions of years old, but only three years old. This world is nothing but Suzumiya Haruhi- _san_ 's dream. And that is why she is able to alter it so easily, adjust it all to her whims, and might not even be aware. For a person who is dreaming, all such is child's play."

Kain sipped his tea. This line of thought struck an entirely different chord in Kain that Itsuki probably intended, but he shoved it aside for now. "Well…I've been thinking about this, but you're choosing a really stupid way to go about it, really. Haruhi desires 'excitement' in her life, mostly in the form of things that can't exist in a 'normal' world." _('In some ways, I'm a horrible person for this role, because my entire life has been part of an 'exciting' hidden world far removed from this 'normality' she so loathes.')_ "Her subconscious godhood has caused events that brought aliens and time travelers and espers to her doorstep, right where she wants them, and yet they are all keeping themselves hidden from her. That, in my mind, seems pretty self-damning; if she doesn't find what she likes, might she not 'rewrite' this whole world anyway, and then all your secretive supernatural presences will go to waste? If she is just dreaming this, and you're a part of her dream, then wouldn't you want to encourage her to keep dreaming about you?"

"Well, I can't say that point of view hasn't been discussed among us," Itsuki replied. "But you see, the higher-ups mostly believe that it would be dangerous to make Suzumiya- _san_ aware of her powers, or even aware of our presence. The proverb says, 'Let sleeping dragons lie', and that's the best wisdom in this case. If we did reveal ourselves to Suzumiya- _san_ , that might only excite her more, and cause her to create or bring in a greater number and variety of supernatural forces. So we're doing our best to maintain the status quo. We are also working on her mood in other ways I can't describe at the moment, but rest assured, we're handling it as we deem best. Even in the small ways—I certainly didn't wish to suddenly transfer to this school at this time of the year, but Suzumiya- _san_ strongly desired a 'mysterious transfer student', and so here I am."

"So matter of fact," Kain muttered. "Well, I assume that you are telling me this because you believe that I am a normal human that has attracted Haruhi's attention, and you wish to use me as a lynchpin to manipulate her because I have influence over her. Is that correct?"

Koizumi smiled. "Yes…but that was an interesting comment. Your words and tone suggest that you are not as normal as I would believe…."

"You are sharp. Maybe I'll tell you about it someday. But not today. I'm still trying to find my own way out." Kain rose. "I think you for your time, Koizumi. We should return to the clubroom now, though, because I'm sure her highness will be irate if she returns and finds we didn't wait for her."

8-8-8

Over the next few weeks, although he didn't need it, Kain was given convincing evidence of the claims of the other three SOS Brigade members. First, Ryoko Asakura called Kain out to an empty classroom, alone, and, to no surprise of Kain's, revealed herself as another humanoid interface of the D.I.T.E. and declared that she and her faction wanted to force a reaction from Haruhi…by killing Kain, whom Haruhi was close to. Kain fended the alien-girl off easily even before Yuki showed up to defend him and erased her colleague.

Next, Mikuru Asahina met with Kain…but a Mikuru from the further future, several years older. She left Kain a couple of warnings—to remember the fairy tale 'Snow White' if he found himself in great danger, and to not get too close to the 'younger' Mikuru.

And, finally, and most interesting to Kain, Itsuki decided the time was right to demonstrate his powers to Kain. Haruhi had been growing irritable that their attempts to find mysterious events were proving fruitless, and even Kain's attempts to placate her were growing less and less successful. Finally, Itsuki met Kain on his way 'home' from school, hailed a taxi, and bade Kain go with him. They went downtown and left the car, then started walking towards some high-rise buildings…and Kain felt the prickling before they entered it. Something was off about the world around him. Itsuki noticed his hesitation, but took his hand and insisted he close his eyes. Then, in the middle of crossing the street, they entered the prickling sensation he felt and he opened his eyes to see the world changed. A dark cloud of mysterious power obscured the sky and highlighted the world in odd colors, rather similar to the ' _fuzetsu_ ' barriers he had experienced in the world of the Guze. The frozen world had no people in it…just, as Itsuki showed Kain, a monstrous shimmering energy-like _aiju_ , destroying the empty city.

"This is a 'Closed Space' between worlds." Itsuki glanced at Kain. "You don't seem very surprised."

"No…sorry, but sometimes I'm horrible for these roles I keep getting thrust into. The 'supernatural' isn't nearly as abnormal for me as all you dream people think it should be." He pointed at the giant. "But I should know. What is that?"

"We call it a Titan. It is a manifestation of Suzumiya Haruhi- _san_ 's frustrations. You see, this Closed Space is a 5 km radius dome that is essentially a mental 'copy' of the city, or a part of it, created by Suzumiya- _san_. Sensing its presence and entering it is one of my powers, as is sensing her moods—and this Closed Space, and the Titans, are created when those frustrations reach the boiling point. In ways, it's somewhat remarkably therapeutic, don't you think? Subconsciously creating a fake world where she can vent her anger by destroying things that make no difference?"

"Remarkably reasonable, considering the absurdity that she is essentially an ignorant god, creating beings she wants to meet and yet can't meet," Kain returned. "But you just let the things go like that?"

"Well, no. It is true that, although the damage in this world does not correspond to the real world, if we let it go, the Closed Space will expand." Red lights began to appear around the Titan, flashing around it and apparently fighting it. "I'll join my comrades in a moment…but there is one more concern, which is why I've brought you here. You are undoubtedly a normal human being, but you were chosen by Suzumiya- _san_ and brought into the SOS Brigade because she wished it. You put it into her head to create this club, and as a result, the three organizations she inadvertently created that are watching her were thrown together into a kind of controlled chaos. This entire world is on the brink of chaos, because Suzumiya- _san_ is beginning to think of the world as boring…and that thought is frightening. If she wishes, she could very well, as you suggested, destroy this world and recreate it into something more suiting of her whims. Such is the terror of an incomplete god in infancy. You must do your part to try and keep her from becoming bored…for your sake, too. But now, I should go join my fellows. This is why we have our powers, after all." And Itsuki turned into a red light himself and flew out towards the Titan. The attacks were having an effect, and it began to fall to pieces.

After the work was done, Itsuki returned to Kain and released him from the Closed Space, then took him home. Kain had plenty to think about that evening, but likely not what Itsuki suspected.

 _('The one in the 'dream' is me, although Yuki suggested all these worlds have 'real' equivalents somewhere out in the planes of reality…these are all different 'Reality Spheres', copies of those worlds just like that Closed Space was a copy of a piece of this world. All these things…in some ways, I've been caught up in them. There is always a story, a threat, a significance in the world. It's amusing…even in dreams, I can't escape into a normal life that chafes Haruhi. Yes, they are all interesting…but I need to get back to my world, to my reality. There's still so much to do there._

 _('But that Closed Space…I could feel the walls were thinner there. Maybe…if I were there again…I could find a way to breach it…and break out, once and for all….')_

8-8-8

He didn't have to wait long. Haruhi's mood continued to worsen, and she even described something that happened three years ago to Kain, likely the mysterious source of 'the beginning': she had been taken to a baseball game by her father, and with forty thousand people in the stands she was overwhelmed. She was even more overwhelmed to find the number was only that small, and since the world had almost 200,000 times that number of inhabitants; it was just the smallest drop in the bucket of humanity. And she was just one tiny person in that mess. That was the event that seemed to be her trigger, to make her long for something that would prove that she was special, not just another one of those numbers. How ironic, how tragic, that she was ignorant of the fact that she possessed qualities that made her, in this world, far more important than any of them.

But then Saturday morning Kain awoke to an insistent voice calling his name.

He awoke and sat up. He was in his school uniform, lying on the ground in the middle of the school's courtyard. Haruhi was kneeling over him. A quick glance around showed that they were at the school…but in a Closed Space. "Interesting," he murmured. He turned to Haruhi. "But why are you here?"

"What? What are you talking about!?"

"I'm just wondering if I'm in your dream, or you're in my dream," he joked.

"As if! If one of us is a dream, it's definitely you! Now stop talking nonsense and help me figure this out. There's got to be a way out of this weird place…."

There wasn't. The walls of the 'Closed Space' prevented them from leaving the school grounds. The doors to the school were unlocked, and after their initial attempts to flee failed, Haruhi dragged Kain to her refuge, the SOS Brigade clubroom.

Kain set out tea for Haruhi to help calm her down. "It's a mystery, but at least we're together," he told her. "I know I'm not much comfort, but it's always better to have someone in circumstances like this than to be alone; wouldn't you agree?"

Haruhi was silent a moment. "Yes… a mystery," she murmured. Then she suddenly bolted upright and headed for the door. "I'm going to take one last look around!"

Kain watched her go. Then he turned to the computer, which was making noise. It had refused to turn on earlier, but he found its screen active with a kind of DOS screen. Then text typed itself out:

'Y.N.: Kain- _sensei_?'

Kain stared at it, then typed out himself:

'Here, Yuki. You've connected with this Closed Space?'

'Y.N.: Yes. Only those who are 'Special' to Suzumiya are aware of what is happening. The event feared by Koizumi and his Agency has come to pass. They are panicking. There are still means to prevent the rewriting of the world—normally, my action would be to tell you to remember the fairy tale, Sleeping Beauty. But that doesn't matter now.

'Y.N.: You are as close as you will ever be to escaping from that dream. The demon has trapped itself in a situation where you are outside of the dream's normal reach and abnormally close to it. You can escape, but you must find a means of breaking even that thin wall. There is a way, but I am prevented from telling you. Only alerting you of the fact.'

'Thank you, Yuki. I think I understand…I know what to do. I will see you all again very soon.'

'Y.N.: Best of luck, Kain- _sensei_.' And the screen went dead.

Kain stared at it a moment longer, then Haruhi burst back into the room, excited and chattering. "Something amazing is happening, Kain! Come see!" And she hurried out; Kain followed after her.

The clamoring girls burst into Kain's room. Sure enough, there was Yuki, standing over Kain's bed, staring down at him. "Yuki- _chan_! What's happening!? What's going on with Kain- _sensei_!? Are you doing something to help him!?"

Yuki turned back to them with her blank expression. "It is almost time," she murmured.

8-8-8

They rushed outside. A Titan was tearing apart the school. Haruhi, rather than scared, was delighted. Here was something exciting happening, right in front of her!

Kain considered this. _('This is how the scene is supposed to play out…Haruhi has grown too frustrated, and is going to recreate the world with her 'chosen', me, sliding into the role…a new Adam and Eve, as it were. The hero would have to choose to let it happen, or desperately come up with a way of placating the ignorant Haruhi and convincing her to not give up on this world. 'Snow White' and 'Sleeping Beauty'…yeah, fairy tales have a tried-and-true way to finish the story…._

 _('But that's not my place here. It's time for me to get out of this trap. I wonder…when she first introduced herself, those months ago…did she know about this? Did she call herself that, just to make me think of her at this moment, to understand what I needed to do? Somehow…I know the answer is….')_

"Haruhi." Haruhi, surprised, turned to Kain. He took her arms, just under her shoulders, not unkindly. "Sorry about this. Normally, you'd have some sort of great future to look forward to, full of excitement and mystery like you crave, but I don't belong to it. I don't belong here. This isn't my story. So I have to go. It's actually been kind of fun…just try to be better behaved, okay? Not that you'll know me or remember any of this at all…."

"Huh? Kain? What the hell are you talking about…?"

Kain released her and turned away. He stared up at the empty sky out of instinct…even as the giant took note of the pair and started moving toward them, bringing a hand down to crush them….

"Sanada Sakura…no, Sakura Johnson, traveler of time and space! If you can hear my voice at this time, in this place, please…come to my aid!"

He released an instinctive burst of energy, an unrefined spell of nothing, a kind of magical flare for positioning. He didn't know if it was necessary or not…he wasn't sure his words reached anything…but there was a response.

A blade of nothingness came sweeping down, slashing right next to Haruhi and blowing away the Titan in dramatic fashion.

Kain smiled and turned around to look at her. "Long time no see, Sakura."

"Kain- _sensei_." Sakura, dressed in her _haori_ and _shihakushô_ , turned to him and smiled back. "It took you long enough. I was waiting for you to call for me."

"Sorry…I was a little afraid. I'd look pretty dumb if I called and you didn't answer."

"You're concerned about looking dumb inside a dream? How cute."

"H-hey!" Haruhi insisted. "W-what the hell is this? W-who the hell are you!? Explain what this is about!"

Sakura turned back to her with a chuckle. "Sorry, Haruhi- _chan_. Our paths no longer intersect here. It's time for this dream to be over…take care in your reality." She twitched the sword in her hand, and Haruhi, the school, the Closed Space, everything, faded away to nothing, leaving Kain and Sakura alone in a sea of total void and blackness.

Kain looked around at it for a moment. "So…what now?"

"Now, we have to put a stop to the demon behind this. Not a big deal." Sakura turned away. "But if we don't get rid of it, it could come back again. I must say, you did well, Kain - _sensei_."

"Really? All I did was sit through a bunch of stupid stories where I didn't belong."

Sakura shook her head. "No. Things could have been worse than that, as Yuki said. I guess it's fine since we're here. But remember, I can use Yume no Musôka to look at alternate futures, realities, and planes. Do you know how often you failed these trials?" She smiled mischievously at him.

Kain was silent a moment. "I would suppose, under the circumstances, that even once would be too much. Even once would be a terrible tragedy in a lot of ways."

Sakura giggled. "Good answer." She raised her sword. "Let's get on with it, shall we?"

She brought her sword down, and the black void rent, leaving them in a plane rather similar to a Closed Space, an empty city with alien architecture. Not far from them, in a gazebo in the midst of a plaza, was an alien creature, a demon Kain instinctively knew to be the creator of the dreams. It hissed at them in fear and anger. "Curse you…" it seethed.

Then Kain was there, grabbing it around its, for want of a better word, throat. "No, not happening," he denied. "No speeches, no posturing and reciting of dialogue. I've had enough with all that nonsense. You die, and this is over…end of story. Finally."

He powered his doom bolt in the hand that gripped the creature and released, vaporizing it instantly. After all he had been through, it felt very satisfying to Kain to end it in such a simple, swift fashion.

He cast away the dust remnants of his antagonist and turned back to Sakura. She giggled again. "Well…I was expecting to help fight a bit, but that was brutally abrupt, Kain- _sensei_."

"Do you know how many _years_ I've been stuck in this dream?" Kain protested. He shook his head. "My dream years weren't nearly so enjoyable as yours, Sakura. I'm desperate to get out of it."

"Yes, I suppose so…but you did enjoy it some, didn't you?"

Kain considered it. "Yes…there were certainly some moments that were enjoyable. I saw some interesting things…experienced a few new joys and sorrows…learned things that may help me. I've gained a new perspective on many matters. I suppose, in its own way, it was…helpful. I thank you for your assistance."

Sakura nodded, smiling widely, and held up a hand, three fingers upraised. She retracted her ring finger then, leaving two up. "Three wishes," she said. "That's what genies grant, right? This was your first wish, Kain- _sensei_. I'll be back to grant two more before this is through."

"Genies, you say?" Kain teased. "So now you're a genie, too? Alien, time traveler, esper, slider, Soul Reaper, and now a genie…my word, don't you have an identity crisis!"

"Oh, hush!" Sakura said in mock anger. She waved her sword again and a portal opened up next to her. She gestured to it. "Go on, Kain- _sensei_ …they're all waiting for you."

Kain bowed to her, and then steeled himself and stepped into the glowing white doorframe of reality, into the white darkness of the world beyond.

8-8-8

He sat up. He glanced around. It was his room…and, filling it, dominating it, the tear-streaked faces of his girls, all of them (some of them less tear-streaked than others, of course). He smiled at them. "Hey. I'm back. Why the long faces?"

"Kain- _sensei_!" They attempted to throw themselves on him as one body, causing an amusing complicated swarm of contorted arms, legs and bodies. "How long do you think you've been sleeping!?" cursed Kanade.

"A lot longer than you think I've been sleeping, I'm sure," Kain replied. "But it's all right. I'm back now. It's all over. The dream…is ended."

8-8-8

Kain managed to teach the class on his final day there, Friday, before once again leaving with Mai to complete his tour of the Mana Holy Sites around the world. He returned by December, and once again took up his class.

"I have one more trip to make, on December 23rd," he informed them immediately. "I have to go to Sendai to reestablish the Gate. Then I should be good until the end of the school year…we'll have done all we can for the worlds."

"Ah, but you're leaving during Christmas break?" protested Kaoru. "And here we were looking to spend some time with you! That's not fair!"

"I thought you'd go home to your families during Christmas break," Kain pointed out. "That would be right and proper. But not to worry—I'll be home by the evening of December 24th, so if we want to have a class party in celebration of Christmas, we can. Someone said to me that I still have to make sure I do what I can to enjoy my normal, happy, carefree teenager life with you all while I can, and I intend to. I'm sorry I've been away for so long…but I do want to spend what time I can with you all. All right?"

The class cheered, and he let a quick smirk go Chisame's way, causing the girl to look away pointedly. Yes, the dream had been good for that, at least…in a way, he had been, just a little, losing sight of what he was desperately trying to protect with all his plans to save the seven worlds and safely integrate them. Of course, in its own way even that was therapy, distracting him from the sorrows he knew still lay ahead. But he was in a world made for him, where even the little things he did had significant importance, and he needed to be more mindful of them.

But little did he know, as Christmas Day approached, that he was about to learn just how significant he really was to this world….

F I N

 _Author's Note: The End, Finally_

 _Of the dreams, not the MSK story. Three Acts to go._

 _Really, in some ways, even I don't like the dreams…I really wanted to get into them a whole lot more. I have all these funny scenes, reactions, and dialogues in my head, Kain's resigned snarky commentary about it all and character interactions I otherwise couldn't do. But the thing is, there's still way too much here, and it's not really important._

 _As I noted before, the original inspiration for this came from the manga The World God Only Knows and the dream-worlds Keima was subjected to. I just had this inspiration to subject Kain to the anime worlds all his friends have been stolen from, and it was a neat idea…but it just turned out to be too much. I still regret buzzing through it all so very fast, and it's kinda sad…those who don't know the particular anime these ideas come from will be lost and probably frustrated, and I apologize, but at least those in the know will get the jokes. And sometimes the author who is arrogant has to have his own in-jokes nobody else will get. If that's the case, oh well…all I can say is that I'm sorry._

 _I decided The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya was a good place to have the final dream take shape, because it relates to Kain's own situation in some weird ways, plus Yuki is the only potential person who could take her own place in Kain's dream, as she described here. It was a good place to briefly bring Sakura back, and hint that she's not gone away for good yet—she's going to feature prominently in Act 18, for instance, so look forward to that. I wanted to have more here, too…the original plan was that Kain would actually describe his entire situation to Itsuki, leading them to have serious deep philosophical discussions about reality and dreams and who was in what. It would have been a lot of fun, but this was already too long. I keep bemoaning that fact. Usually, I overestimate just how much time I'm going to take writing about certain things, but sometimes, as with the Red Wings arc, and once again here, I underestimate just how much I have planned and have to cut things. We'll see which direction Act 18 falls…as we move in to conclude the Nagi Homura story…._

 _Well, here we go. Act 17 in the books! Three left to conclude the (main) MSK story!_


End file.
